Henry backing Hansen to take New Zealand reins

DEPARTING All Blacks coach Graham Henry has argued for continuity in New Zealand rugby, nominating his assistant Steve Hansen as the next man for the job.

Henry announced yesterday he was stepping down from the post he has held for the past eight years, a tenure that culminated in New Zealand’s drought-breaking World Cup final victory over France nine days ago. He has not ruled out a move to Europe.

He departs with a place in history as one of sport’s most successful coaches, having guided the All Blacks to 88 wins in 103 Tests — at a winning percentage of 85.4%. Hansen was one of Henry’s two assistants during that period, along with Wayne Smith, who is heading to the Chiefs next season in an advisory role.

The three were controversially re-appointed in 2007 despite the All Blacks’ quarter-final exit at that year’s World Cup, a decision they repaid by landing the Webb Ellis Cup in 2011.

Henry believes a complete change to the coaching team will mean lessons learned from past experience would be lost as the new regime starts from scratch.

“So I think Steve Hansen should do the job,” Henry said in Auckland.

“It’s my personal opinion and it does give us continuity from what has happened over the last eight years and what goes for the future, and I think that’s very important for any sporting team of this type.”

Henry said Hansen had a good relationship with the players, had a natural feel for the game and “wants to win, which is hell of a important”.

A former Wales coach — just like Henry himself — Hansen has been tipped to submit a coaching team that includes the former Chiefs coach Ian Foster as his deputy, as well as All Blacks skills coach Mick Byrne.

NZRU chief executive Steve Tew said the union wanted to appoint the All Blacks head coach first and to have that done by Christmas.

“Then we’ll take a deep breath and see where we’re at,” he said. “We’ve asked the candidates to come with a full package, but that doesn’t mean that package will be appointed en masse.”

One of the world’s most successful sports coaches, for now 65-year-old Henry says he will stay in New Zealand to assist in the development of local coaches. Tew said the discussions were under way to have Henry in a mentoring role for coaches at Super Rugby and provincial level.

But he says he could still be tempted to return to Europe and coach and club or international level. “I would like to spend a little bit of time, not a long time because I have important family over here [in New Zealand], but a little bit of time assisting if there is a demand from a club or from a union in Europe over the next few years,” said Henry.

Asked whether the sporting challenge or the salary would be the determining factor, he added: “It’s a bit of both to be frank, blatantly frank. If you are going to get involved in a club in Europe you can only do one club, that’s important, and I haven’t got a lot of time due to things I have to do in New Zealand.

“It would be stimulating and challenging but we will see what happens.”

Henry was awarded the International Rugby Board’s Coach of the Year award a record five times (2005, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2011).