Everest scaled - Henry bows out a winner

'You can't finish better than that.'

DUNCAN JOHNSTONE

Last updated 14:24 01/11/2011

Graham Henry steps down

PETER MEECHAM/Fairfax Media

EMOTIONAL: Graham Henry has a reflective moment during the press conference to announce he was stepping down as All Blacks coach.

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Proud and privileged was Graham Henry's theme as he announced his retirement as All Blacks coach.

He stands down from a position of ultimate strength - as the World Cup winner and Bledisloe Cup holder and with an incredible success rate of 85.4 percent from 103 tests during his eight years in charge of New Zealand.

"You can't finish better than that. It's been a privilege but it's time to rule off," Henry told a large media conference at the University clubrooms in Auckland where he started his senior coaching career.

"I leave with a great feeling of pride and satisfaction. There's a real sense of pride because I think we've ticked the boxes. It's a sense of a job well done by a group of 45 people."

The group were the basis of his World Cup winning squad and management. He also emphasised his appreciation to his family and his New Zealand Rugby Union bosses, particularly ailing former chairman Jock Hobbs.

He also made special mention of Tana Umaga and Richie McCaw - "my two long term captains who have been fantastic".

Henry said he had made his decision to step down well before the World Cup final.

"It (the job) takes its toll," the 65-year-old said.

"I've been a test head coach since 1998. There's a very fine line between being the hero and the villain. I know that better than most."

He told the players on the Tuesday after the World Cup victory when they were having "an informal meeting" in Wellington before the street parade in the capital the next day.

"I will miss the responsibility and I really enjoyed the guys (players), particularly in the later years as they got older and developed a sense of trust to do their own jobs and not panic and try to do someone else's job as well."

Henry stressed he wanted to remain in coaching and hoped to do that in New Zealand. He was in discussions with the NZRU over a coaching mentor type role that would see him working with the Super Rugby and provincial coaches.

Henry said he had already been doing that for the past eight years as he constantly toured the Super Rugby franchises, offering his wisdom. To be able to formalise something along those lines would be ideal.

"I've had a long association with New Zealand rugby and I'd like to continue that. It would be good to keep working in a rugby environment with those people. I'm looking forward to helping fellow coaches if I can."

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He also had two private business ventures he was keen on developing further - he is part owner of "The Rugby Site", a coaching website, and he is involved in an import-export business.

As for who might take over the All Blacks, Henry said he would go for the sort of continuity that helped win this World Cup after the previous disaster. That meant keeping Steve Hansen involved and stepping him up to the head coach role.

Henry won high praise from NZRU chief executive Steve Tew who sat alongside him at the announcement.

"When you get involved with the All Blacks the aim is to add to that incredible legacy. To be able to do that is the ultimate and Graham Henry has added to that legacy incredibly.

"On the field the All Blacks legacy has been enriched beyond anyone's expectations. Off the field I think he has helped develop a culture better than anything I can remember. His ambition was to do the jersey and the culture proud and he achieved that.

"It's going to be a difficult job to find someone to fill those shoes."

Graham Henry - The Facts and Figures

Graham Henry finishes his All Blacks career as one of the most successful coaches of all time. He coached the All Blacks to 88 wins in 103 tests for a winning percentage of 85.4 percent, including 29 of the last 32 tests and 48 of their 51 tests at home.

The All Blacks have held the Bledisloe Cup, played for against Australia, every year of Henry's coaching reign; won the Tri-Nations five times; won three Grand Slams; and hold all the trophies against other major rugby nations: The Freedom Cup (South Africa), the Dave Gallaher Cup (France) and the Hillary Shield (England).

He coached a team at the Rugby World Cup for a record 16 times (including Wales in 1999) and his 13 RWC wins are unchallenged.

He has won the International Rugby Board's Coach of the Year award a record five times (2005, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2011); been the New Zealand Coach of the Year four times (1995, 2005, 2006 and 2008); and in 2008 also received the Pierre de Coubertin Trophy awarded by the International Committee for Fair Play (ICPF).

Born on 8 June in 1946 in Christchurch, Henry attended Christchurch Boys' High School and the University of Otago before embarking on a long career as a teacher - and rugby coach. He taught and coached the First XV at two Auckland schools, Auckland Grammar and Kelston Boys' High School, becoming headmaster at Kelston in 1987 until his professional rugby coaching career began in 1996.

He coached the Auckland provincial side to championship titles four years in a row from 1993 to 1996 and the Blues Super Rugby side to glory in 1996 and 1997. He coached Wales from 1998 to 2002, and in 2001 became the first southern hemisphere coach to coach the British and Irish Lions.