All Black coach: I thought it's over
Sunday, February 10, 2008
NEW ZEALAND coach Graham Henry said he thought he had lost his job after having to reapply for it following last year's World Cup quarter-final defeat by France.
Henry was reappointed on a two-year contract in December even though many expected Canterbury Crusaders coach Robbie Deans would succeed him.
Deans was named coach of Australia a week later after becoming a late inclusion on their shortlist.
"I was the last to be interviewed and after it I thought 'no, it's not going to happen'," Henry told yesterday's New Zealand Herald newspaper.
"I did not think the meeting went that smoothly. I was a bit uptight. It was just a gut feel I had.
"I didn't think I was going to get the job."
Henry said he had to be cajoled into reapplying.
"I was never confident because this is the first time an All Black coach has been reappointed for longer than four years," he said.
"Robbie was a fine candidate too so there was some real competition."
Henry said Richie McCaw would remain as captain while he was coach and that his policy of team rotation would continue.
"He is a bloody good captain," said Henry. "He is a marvellous player who leads by example and has probably the most successful record of any All Black captain of all time if you look at games won and lost.
"There is no reason to change. People look at the test in Cardiff, the (World Cup) quarter-final, and say why did we lose that test ?
"They say the leadership wasn't right and I would debate that strongly. Our objective has not changed. We want to win every test."Reuters
Henry was reappointed on a two-year contract in December even though many expected Canterbury Crusaders coach Robbie Deans would succeed him.
Deans was named coach of Australia a week later after becoming a late inclusion on their shortlist.
"I was the last to be interviewed and after it I thought 'no, it's not going to happen'," Henry told yesterday's New Zealand Herald newspaper.
"I did not think the meeting went that smoothly. I was a bit uptight. It was just a gut feel I had.
"I didn't think I was going to get the job."
Henry said he had to be cajoled into reapplying.
"I was never confident because this is the first time an All Black coach has been reappointed for longer than four years," he said.
"Robbie was a fine candidate too so there was some real competition."
Henry said Richie McCaw would remain as captain while he was coach and that his policy of team rotation would continue.
"He is a bloody good captain," said Henry. "He is a marvellous player who leads by example and has probably the most successful record of any All Black captain of all time if you look at games won and lost.
"There is no reason to change. People look at the test in Cardiff, the (World Cup) quarter-final, and say why did we lose that test ?
"They say the leadership wasn't right and I would debate that strongly. Our objective has not changed. We want to win every test."Reuters
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