Confronting Henry's greatest challenges

Graham Henry has got over the hurdle of holding on to his job. Now he faces some tough challenges remodelling his All Blacks after the major letdown of the World Cup.
How we see it

Marc Hinton and Duncan Johnstone look at the biggest tests that now confront Henry and his management as they start a new era.

PHILOSOPHIES – Marc Hinton

What does Graham Henry do now? Does he admit defeat on his twin imposters rotation and reconditioning or does he persevere blindly? Does he eat some humble pie, or take on his critics head-on?

I'd suggest the former on both counts. Henry has had the equivalent of a near-miss with his Lazarus impression in gaining reappointment as All Blacks coach. Where most presumed he was a dead man walking, the Great Redeeemer has become the Great Survivor.

It almost defied belief how he achieved it on the back of the World Cup shambles, but the NZRU board in their wisdom – or lack of it – have elected to give him another term.

The key now is for him to heed the lessons of his World Cup car-crash, and box on in 2008 with the benefit of that wisdom.

The essence of how he takes the All Blacks out of the ashes of Cardiff is going to be in his key philosophies. And let's face it they've been pretty much based on his belief in rotation as a great way to build depth and the reconditioning programme as the best plan to enable a team to peak at a certain time of the year.

Reconditioning was a patent failure, with the experiment in removing 22 All Blacks from the first half of the Super 14 not only fatally disrupting the five New Zealand franchises but in the end it clearly failed to produce an All Blacks outfit firing on all cylinders. There seemed to be plenty of energy for water sports and the like in the south of France, but when it came time to dig in and and execute in the heat of the Cardiff battle, they wilted before the French resistance.

Rotation also failed to produce the plan B type answers that have always been the All Blacks' weakness.

The reasoning had been that by having so many players used to appearing in front-line tests, when the time came in the heat of battle that some of the backup troops had to be pressed into action due to injury or other circumstances they'd be ready.

The other side of the coin there was that by failing to play his top XV week in, week out he was missing the chance to establish valuable familiarity, continuity and cohesion amongst his premier lineup.

On both counts the All Blacks came a cropper. When Dan Carter, and latterly Nick Evans, went down with injury in Cardiff, who stepped up to guide the New Zealanders to the dropepd goal they required? Nobody, that's who. Who came on to carry on the impact of Jerry Collins when the blindside went down? Nobody.

The All Blacks didn't play horribly in the quarter-final, but in a  tight match they lacked the ability to wear down their opponents, get their noses in front and make them play catch-up against the run of play. As the South Africans did so well throughout.

Anyway it's all old territory, as Henry made clear when he refused to discuss the World Cup at the press conference following his announcement.

They key now is how he moves forward in the wake of that failure. And what his philosophies for 2008 and beyond will be.

I'm sure the reconditioning theory will be canned, and he as good as admitted that when he spoke after his reappointment. But I'm not so sure that he'll be as keen to back down on spreading the load through his squad.

However there's another aspect to be thought about through this whole cheapening of the All Black jersey that's gone on in recent years. While Henry gives out national caps like plastic prizes in Weet-Bix packets, he's effectively empowering the next wave of New Zealand talent to head off and take the money on offer up north.

While so many players hold the status of "internationals" they're able to be signed up by the rich European clubs. But if Henry was able to make the All Black jersey a little more rare, a little more cherished, then he could do something to slow that flow of talent.

As a bonus he might also, at the same time, develop a side with a bit more familiarity, stickability and backbone.

Something for him and his bosses to think about as they weigh the path forward in 2008. Whatever way he elects to do so, you can be sure of one thing: Henry will be held to much greater account for his actions than he has been over the previous four years.

 

SELECTION – Duncan Johnstone

Some serious defections mean Henry and his brains trust are going to have to come up with a new-look side in terms of the supposed "A-Team" that was so rarely fielded over the past couple of years.

Run through the list of players who have headed offshore in the wake of the World Cup and it's clear there are some big holes to fill, even given the supposed depth that the previous rotation policy unearthed.

Byron Kelleher, Chris Jack, Aaron Mauger, Anton Oliver, Luke McAlister, Doug Howlett and Carl Hayman are World Cup members and senior All Blacks now plying their trade in Europe.

Backups like Sam Tuitupou, Greg Rawlinson, Marty Holah and Rico Gear are also involved up there.

Throw in the retirement of Keith Robinson and the imminent departure of stalwart Reuben Thorne and there's nearly an entire team vanished.

But where are the glaring gaps?

Hayman is unanimously recognised as the best tighthead prop in the game so Henry has to find a new cornerstone for a pack whose scrummaging abilities have been widely lauded.

While we're on the tight five the locking stocks aren't exactly overflowing now. The selectors will be hoping that injured youngster Jason Eaton and James Ryan get back into gear sooner rather than later.

New Zealand is never short on loose forward talent but it's questionable whether a top-drawer replacement for skipper Richie McCaw is stalking our paddocks right now.

Similarly the quest for a reliable backup to Rodney So'oialo at No 8 needs to be stepped up.

Out in the backline the midfield is a mess.

Mauger eventually (and justifiably) left in a huff at being overlooked when it counted most at the World Cup. With McAlister and Tuitupou also now plying their trades in the English Premiership alongside him there is an alarming gap at second five-eighths.

And let's face it, the centre position has never been sorted out since Tana Umaga pulled the pin two years ago. My advice for what it's worth - forget playing the world's best fullback (Mils Muliaina) in the No 13 jersey and get a specialist settled in there.

It's a position that has haunted the All Blacks at the last three World Cups. Enough is enough!

Wing should also be a concern given their preoccupation with playing the Fijian combination of Sitiveni Sivivatu and Joe Rokocoko. Undoubted attacking talents, their susceptibility as a combination was again exposed under pressure by the French.

It's fair to say that rotation ruined the games of Byron Kelleher and Piri Weepu. Halfback is now an open race and it's a position where the selectors are going to have to choose wisely.

The New Zealand Rugby Union believe they have chosen wisely in Henry. Now it's time for the coach to do the same with his players.

- © Fairfax NZ News