Lions Tour: Henry hopeful of successful tour

Graham Henry needs only one word to describe the task facing his Lions in Australia this summer - immense.

Henry and 37 of the finest rugby players from Ireland and Britain will board a plane to Perth next Friday, then take off on one of the great sporting adventures.

The former Auckland headmaster and New Zealand A coach might have proved a contentious Lions choice in some quarters, but he is well aware of the responsibility he faces.

Purists felt that rugby's most coveted job within the four nations should have been kept in-house with doors slammed firmly shut if any overseas candidates dared raise their hand.

But coaches are surely judged on results - and the facts are that Henry boasts a better record than any other challenger.

The Auckland provincial side won 80 of their 102 matches between 1992 and 1997 with Henry in charge, then he masterminded successive Super 12 title-winning seasons as Auckland Blues boss.

At the Wales helm, victories were plotted over South Africa, England and France - twice in Paris - while his current 28-Test reign included a run of 10 games unbeaten leading into the 1999 World Cup.

If anyone can prepare a team to beat the world champions and Tri-Nations title holders on their own patch, then 54-year-old Henry is probably the man who can.

"It is going to be an immense task - Australia will be right on the edge for this tour.

"They are the world champions, Tri-Nations champions and Bledisloe Cup holders, so the only thing left is to beat the Lions," Henry said.

"Australia is probably the number one sporting nation in the world. They put a real emphasis on quality and then try to bring it through.

"They've got an attitude, which is developed through their culture, to be the best in the world on the sporting field, and Australia's record over recent

seasons means they can rightly claim to be the world's best rugby nation.

"That is the challenge we face, but it's an opportunity that I am very excited about."

No stone has been left unturned during his preparations, including tapping the expertise of former Lions coaches Ian McGeechan and Jim Telfer, who both know a thing or two about successful tours.

Henry continued: "We have selected who we think are the best 37 players available, whittling them down from an original 70-strong list.

"My priority is to work well with the rest of the Lions coaching staff and help bring the best out of everyone.

"The team-building week will be very important in terms of getting the foundations in place before we leave."