Henry vows to learn from mistakes

GRAHAM HENRY has insisted he won’t make the same mistakes again after being re-appointed New Zealand coach.

Henry, 61, had to re-apply for his job after the All Blacks crashed out of the World Cup with a quarter-final defeat to France.

Despite competition from Crusaders Super 14 coach Robbie Deans, Ian Foster and Colin Cooper, the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) opted to give him a second chance by handing him a two-year contract.

Henry welcomed the opportunity and vowed not to repeat the errors he made first time round, most notably the decision to rest 22 All Blacks in the build-up to the World Cup.

“There will be a lot of discussion around that. In hindsight it was probably a mistake. I will rephrase that — it was a mistake. We need to sit down and re-think it,” he said.

“The objective is to pick the team to win the Test match and that has not changed.”

Henry claims he has got over New Zealand’s failure in France.

“We must retain our dignity as a country, and I don’t think elaborating on the World Cup would be good.

“It plays on your mind every day. Not as frequently as the first couple of days but it’s there. It will be there forever.”

Henry’s otherwise impressive record — a hat-trick of Tri-Nations titles, a European Grand Slam tour and a 3-0 series win over the Lions — was enough to secure his return.

Mike Eagle, acting chairman of the NZRU, said: “At the end of the process, the board concluded that Graham Henry was the best candidate.

“Graham’s record, both on and off the field, is among the best in All Blacks rugby history.

“He has set a very high standard in coaching, player management, and integration with the wider New Zealand rugby community. He has given a lot in a successful period for our game and the Board is convinced he has more to give.

“As a result, we believe that in the best interests of New Zealand rugby, Graham and his team were the right choice.”

Eagle added that the NZRU board must bear as much responsibility for the All Blacks’ World Cup disappointment as Henry.

Deans will return to work with the Crusaders after he turned down the chance to be the Wallabies’ next coach, but said he could be interested in a lesser role with the Australian rugby side yesterday.

Said Deans: “I’m committed to coaching the Crusaders now. Outside of that I don’t know. It will depend on whether the opportunity (with the Wallabies) is still there and if they are still interested in me,” he said.