End of an era...Henry stands down

Just announced...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/5887221/All-Blacks-era-over-as-Graham-Henry-steps-aside

So no overseas considerations for Henry. 'Coaching the coaches' Super 15 style is the best thing for NZ Rugby given we expect a raft of retirements at the AB level. How the Super coaches progress the careers of the as yet unbeaten Under 20 teams from the last 4 years is a big concern, as is stemming the flow of our young talent to League and the NRL.

Strengthening our structures that flow through to the ABs can only be a good thing.

All it actually says is TED has formerly resigned as All Blacks coach,and that NZRFU have offered him something when he gets tired of fishing etc.
Certainly a 85% plus average over 103 games has to be one of the better
international teams records.

Yeah I think the two most successful coaches on a % basis (100%) Henry matched with his 17 straight wins as well. Needs to sort out Auckland Rugby I reckon.

Back to his roots from his auks/ Blues days. Even he'll be disillusioned with how they've gone since professionalism kicked in.

In my opinion there isnt another modern day coach that comes close to the succes Henry has had over a span of 8 years.

He will surely be inducted in rugby Union's hall of fame for that.

Henry is a great manager and it will hit the AB's hard that he is stopping. If i was an AB fan i would have liked to see him in the post for at least another 2 years to help with the retirements and bringing in of young blood. He could have had an assistant manager to train and bring him up to speed with the ways of managing the AB's preparing him to take over once Henry stands down.

I do want to say this though, Henry has been a great ambassador for AB rugby.

What a legend. It seems like a lifetime ago now when he was coaching Auckland, Wales then the Lions.

Its great that he signed off with the RWC and it couldn't happen to a more deserving coach.

I don't suppose he fancies one last job with Ireland?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sport/rugby/5888465/His-Everest-scaled-Henry-bows-out-a-winner.
Final take from Domion Post,including all the stats.Deservedly RWC winning coach at last.Now for the new breed left a very sound base for new coach,only Afoa,Muliana,and Thorn missing from the RWC squad.
Get all his players fit the new coach has the 4Ns to win,besides that squad
after surgery to Carter,McCaw and Slade.
Players like Ben Smith,Rene Ranger,Fruen,Matt Todd,the Braid Brothers,Hika Elliot,Wyatt Crockett,Huereta, Donnelly,plus a load of under 20 RWC squad coming thru picture is hardly grim.

Might also be a power shift to the north im hoping as well.
Hurricanes could be the sxv easybeats next year and the blues seem to be the only team that gain from the transfers and retirements.
Theyre also more likely to benefit most from henrys new position.
Saders blues and highlanders to flourish. Chiefs have lost many but gained sbw.

Henrys been all over our non rugby shows here with much more relaxed interviews. Good to see. Some reckon mccaw might be knighted as early as xmas meaning we could have sir richard the lionheart out on the field next year.

Gaw. A knight playing an ab test would be a first. Not sure i agree with that.

roddersm wrote: What a legend. It seems like a lifetime ago now when he was coaching Auckland, Wales then the Lions.

Its great that he signed off with the RWC and it couldn't happen to a more deserving coach.

I don't suppose he fancies one last job with Ireland?

Screw Ireland he should be the Scarlets defence coach!

Taylorman wrote:

Gaw. A knight playing an ab test would be a first. Not sure i agree with that.

Well, we had Sir Richard Hadlee opening the bowling at Lords not so long ago. And England did field Prince Obolensky (spelling?) back in the '30s after they "poached" him from Russia .

Kiwireddevil wrote:

Taylorman wrote:

Gaw. A knight playing an ab test would be a first. Not sure i agree with that.

Well, we had Sir Richard Hadlee opening the bowling at Lords not so long ago. And England did field Prince Obolensky (spelling?) back in the '30s after they "poached" him from Russia .

Yeah but now we'll get..."Lets play ping a knight at the bottom of a ruck"

We need Ted back in town to continue his mentoring of Pat Lam, Auckland with a team made up of quite a few All Blacks from the WC final might give the Super 15 a real crack next year,
Trouble is I get these thoughts every year befora the start of the season,and by September they turn to dust.
Auckland are a cruel team to support, they havent done anything since Xavier Rush,how bad is that?

aucklandlaurie wrote: We need Ted back in town to continue his mentoring of Pat Lam, Auckland with a team made up of quite a few All Blacks from the WC final might give the Super 15 a real crack next year,
Trouble is I get these thoughts every year befora the start of the season,and by September they turn to dust.
Auckland are a cruel team to support, they havent done anything since Xavier Rush,how bad is that?

Could be worse mate, the 'Canes and Chiefs must be even tougher.

Agree Laurie, a third of our population doesn't represent the national team well enough. When I was playing club rugby it was a dynasty that looked like it would last forever such was the strength- AB's scattered across the city.

It may be the prevalence of Pac. Islanders at the top of club level somehow not being harnessed enough through to sxv as thats the only real difference in the demographics (other than professionalism) that I can see.

Just don't get it...

Kiwi Canes are going to be jelly next year and I live here. I wont be going along to many. No confidence in the coach whatsoever.

taylorman
the whole demographic of rugby in Auckland has changed and I dont think for the better.
young players are making school first xv teams and age group club teams, with all the power,atleticism in the world but their skill levels are poor compared to twenty years ago.
Its not he fault of the young Polynesian players, they are keen as mustard,and its not their fault if some of them physically mature faster than others, but what I do see is a laziness that has crept into Auckalnd coaching at the grassroots level. it is far too common to see coaches that just select the biggest fastest kids, and send them out with a gameplan of just give it to the biggest fastest kid and we will win.This comes with two costs.
1.The coaches are not pressured to develop players, and this results in lowering the standard of the coaches.
2. We are great at producing big fast forwards and outside backs but the number of quality smart inside backs is pathetic.

If the coaches could grasp the benefits of bringing through a wider range of players with the skills to play a wider variety of plays we would be World Beaters.

Of course not all Polynesian kids are huge, many have other abilities that need to be harnessed and developed but ALL these kids miss out,and so do we.

As is usual post RWC a lot of NZ players have retired,or gone for cash to Nh and Japan.
The Blues have recruited well but have lost about 10 players as well.,The Hurricanes have indeed lost a lot of players.
BUT to write off ANY side before a ball is kicked,is either arrogance or stupidity .
You treat every team with respect or suffer the consequences.

Alan
You've got to always respect Auckland before a ball has been kicked, its after that that the wheels fall off.

post World Cup only 4 players out squad used of 33 are not available for Super xv.Thorn,Milaeina,Donald, and Afoa.

True but also Jared Payne,Mcalister,Brett,Winston Stanley to name but 4 .I read something like a dozen had moved to NH.
I make no claim to be an expert on ITM and S15,BUT I was very impressed with the Crusaders injurie replacements.
Like Tom Marshall,Crusaders are always the team to beat,but the relative rise of the Highlanders last season was impressive for instance.
Few Stars but well coached by Jamie Joseph.

Yeah Crusaders will go ok. As Laurie says unlike Auckland theyre VERY well coached and brought through- its like chalk and cheese.

Agree re Auckland. When I was playing each club had its hardened seniors that had been there for years- at their peak in and out of Auckland and the AB's- for Otahuhu the Barry Ashworth, Richard Dunn, Steve Watt types in my day.

When I saw grassroots rugby the entire semis and finals seemed to be young Islanders dominating the senior positions, throwing the ball around with not a lot of structure.

Club rugby has always been the backbone of any of our rep teams and Auckland particularly so.