Henry plays down World Cup importance

Graham Henry insists his team is not obsessed with winning the World Cup but concedes the New Zealand public may be.

The All Blacks have not won the four-yearly global event since 1987 despite going into each tournament since as red-hot favourites.

Their quarter-final exit at the hands of France, who also brought about an early end to their 1999 hopes, was the worst performance by a New Zealand side at a World Cup and Henry, in particular, has felt the vitriol of his countrymen since the All Blacks’ latest failure in Cardiff last year.

“It’s part and parcel of the game in this country, it’s the national sport,” he said.

“We’re expected to win every Test match and that is unrealistic. If you don’t win you just take it on the chin and try and get on with life. That’s just the way it is.”

England’s stand-in team manager Rob Andrew believes New Zealand’s failure to capture the coveted prize is due to an unhealthy obsession with winning the tournament.

Henry however, disputes that.

“Our statement about the World Cup which we looked at every day was to enjoy the challenge of the Rugby World Cup and be stimulated by it, rather than to win it. They may be just words but that is how we approached it,” he said.

“In this country the Rugby World Cup is pretty important to a lot of people and gets a lot of press. No matter how we handled it as a group of people in the All Black environment, it’s very hard to change what’s outside there and you’re never going to change it.

“I don’t think we’ve been obsessed as a team about the Rugby World Cup, we’re disappointed we didn’t win it obviously and that’s caused a bit of pain, but, as I say, every Test match this team plays and every competition they are in is extremely important to the side.”

Given the furore surround Henry’s re-appointment ahead of popular Crusaders coach Robbie Deans, who is now coaching Australia, many believe no matter what success Henry and the All Blacks enjoy between World Cups he and the team are only ever going to be judged on whether or not they lift the Webb Ellis Cup.

“The team appreciates the last three Tri-Nations that they’ve won, the Bledisloe Cups that they’ve won the last four years and been undefeated on northern hemisphere tours and all of those things. They are very important to this rugby team,” Henry countered.

“Every Test match is hugely important to the All Black team. The World Cup is a very important tournament and we’d like to win it – that goes without saying.

“But everything else that’s in the All Black programme is also extremely important, like the Test match against England on Saturday.

“It’s an extremely important Test match for both teams and I’m sure they (England) would agree with that and I’m sure the majority of the public would agree with that. It’s just not something that is there to play to build up to a World Cup in 2011.”

Henry and his assistants Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith are in a rebuilding phase after the departure of key players such as prop Carl Hayman, lock Chris Jack and backs Aaron Mauger and Luke McAlister following the World Cup.

It has seen the controversial rotation policy scrapped, which has been reflected in only one change being made to the starting XV for Saturday’s match against England at Eden Park.

Greg Somerville, who was rested for the Ireland game, comes in at tight-head prop for the injured John Afoa, while on the bench the explosive Sione Lauaki is preferred ahead of Adam Thomson because of the expected strength of England’s forward pack.

“We’re rebuilding the side now and you can’t rebuild a side by making a large number of changes each week,” Henry said.

“We’ve just got to build that side again and build a side by consistent selection.”