Graham Henry
Encyclopedia
Graham Henry is a New Zealand Rugby Union coach, and former head coach of the country's national team, the All Blacks
. He played rugby union for Canterbury
and cricket for Otago
in the Plunket Shield. Henry was heavily criticized following the All Blacks quarterfinal exit at the 2007 Rugby World Cup
and was controversially reappointed. He was vindicated, however, when the All Blacks won the 2011 Rugby World Cup final
. and is one of the most successful coaches to have ever coached the All Blacks. On 1 November 2011, Henry announced he would be stepping down as All Blacks coach of 140 matches in a career that included a series victory over the tour British and Irish Lions in 2005, five Tri Nations, three Grand Slams and one Rugby World Cup
title.
, Henry studied at the University of Otago
, gained a Diploma in Physical Education
in 1969, and became a secondary school geography
and physical education teacher. He taught at two schools known for their rugby prowess – Auckland Grammar School
and Kelston Boys' High School
. He coached both their first XVs. He began his career at Grammar in 1973 and remained there – while completing a Bachelor of Education
at Massey University
in 1979 until 1982, when he was appointed deputy headmaster of Kelston. Following the unexpected death of head master Jim Paton while jogging in 1987, Henry became headmaster. He held the job until resigning to become a full time coach in 1996.
His first major role was as coach of the successful Auckland
provincial rugby team from 1992 to 1997. During his tenure, the team won the National Provincial Championship
(NPC) four years in a row (1993–1996). Henry also coached the Blues in the Super 12
– winning the title in 1996 and 1997, and losing the final in 1998. Remarkably, the only other occasion the Blues have won the title was when he briefly returned as technical adviser in the 2003
season.
, at the time becoming the highest paid rugby union coach in the world for a reputed £250,000. His success with Wales resulted in him being given the nickname "the Great Redeemer" in the media there after guiding his side to eleven consecutive victories. As a result, Henry gained celebrity status in Wales. He was appointed coach of the British and Irish Lions
for their unsuccessful 2001 tour to Australia
– this made him the first Lions' coach from outside the Home Nations
. He left Wales in 2002 after a record defeat to Ireland in the Six Nations by 54–10, and returned to New Zealand where he was appointed defensive coach of the Blues during their successful 2003 Super 12 season
.
in the 2003 Rugby World Cup
the All Blacks coaching job was advertised. Apart from incumbent coach John Mitchell
, Henry was the only applicant. Henry appointed his former Wales assistant Steve Hansen
as forwards coach, Wayne Smith
as attack coach, and having himself responsible for defence. Henry also recruited Sir Brian Lochore
as a selector. The coaching team was often referred to by rugby commentators as the Three Wise Men due to their collective experience and success.
His first Test match as coach was against the Rugby World Cup 2003 winners England
team in New Zealand in 2004. England, coached by Sir Clive Woodward were decisively defeated in both Tests. The success did not carry on into the 2004 Tri-Nations
where the All Blacks won two, and lost two Tests – they eventually finished last in the tournament. Henry and his assistants were criticised in the New Zealand media for their insistence on using a flat backline approach in attack – which they blamed for a low number of tries
. The 2004 end of year Tests where they played Northern Hemisphere
opponents was more successful and culminated in a 45–6 defeat of France
in Paris.
In 2005 he coached the All Blacks in their 3–0 series defeat of the British and Irish Lions. He then coached the All Blacks to 2005 Tri-Nations
victory where they lost their only match of 2005 – against South Africa
. He then coached them to only their second ever Grand Slam
over the four Home Nations later that year. The All Blacks were named 2005 IRB International Team of the Year
by the sport's governing body, the International Rugby Board
(IRB). The IRB named Henry as Coach of the Year and first five-eighth Daniel Carter
as Player of the Year.
After winning the 2006 Tri-Nations
and winning all end-of-year Tests in the tour of England, France and Wales, Henry won the IRB Coach of the Year again in 2006. The All Blacks were also named IRB International Team of the Year
and captain Richie McCaw Player of the Year.
Despite such successes, Henry attracted controversy for his rotation policy. This policy means that players in the squad are rotated into and out of the starting team resulting in consecutive matches in the All Blacks 2005 Grand Slam fielding entirely different starting fifteens. An extreme competitiveness developed for all positions.
Henry's All Black coaching career was in question after New Zealand lost to France
20–18 in their 2007 World Cup
quarter-final. This was New Zealand's worst-ever performance in a Rugby World Cup; they had made the last four of every previous tournament. In particular, Henry was blamed for instructing his men to press for a try in the final ten minutes of the game instead of attempting a drop goal, with the All Blacks losing by only two points; the All Blacks' best option for a drop goal, centre Aaron Mauger
, never got onto the pitch. Others criticised Henry for omitting experienced winger Doug Howlett
, the All Blacks' leading scorer of tries in this tournament, starting lock Keith Robinson
(who was both injured and had had minimum game time throughout the World Cup) as well as the injured flyhalf Daniel Carter (after earlier proclaiming that his team had enough depth not to force any injured players onto the field), and playing Mils Muliaina
, widely considered one of the best fullbacks in rugby, out of position at outside centre.
Henry never stated that referee Wayne Barnes
was culpable for the defeat, as Barnes not only allowed several French ruck infringements to go unpunished, but also sin-binned Luke McAlister
and missed a forward pass in the build up to the decisive French try scored by Yannick Jauzion
. This later lead to him receiving a fair sportmans award, the second New Zealander after Tana Umaga
. Later, however, he admitted that blaming the referee had not helped his cause. After some speculation that he would leave, Henry applied for the post after it became vacant, competing with Robbie Deans
.
On 7 December 2007, Henry's contract as All Blacks coach was extended for a further two years, beating Crusaders's coach Robbie Deans, who subsequently accepted the head coaching position of the Australian rugby union team, the Wallabies
. The reappointment produced a mixed reception with the public, media and past players; some applauded the decision while others considered it a mistake. The move to reappoint Henry was also significant as it was the first time that an All Black coach was reappointed after defeat in the World Cup. This has been very divisive in New Zealand with many commentators declaring that it was a case of politics at work.
Upon his reappointment Henry stated that Richie McCaw
would retain the captaincy of the All Blacks, and declared that he would be looking for new tight forwards for the All Blacks.
In July 2009, Henry was reappointed as the coach of the All Blacks through till the end of 2011. This contract saw him coaching the All Blacks through the 2011 Rugby World Cup
which was held in New Zealand and won by the All Blacks beating France 8-7 in the final.
During a series against France 2009 for contest of the Dave Gallagher Trophy he did not tell the All Blacks that they needed to win by a specified margin to secure the trophy. He said this was done because the All Blacks were "relatively young" and didn't need the extra pressure. This was not accepted as sound reasoning by all players.
At the IRB Awards in 2011, Henry and his team both captured awards. The All Blacks were named IRB International Team of the Year
and Graham Henry IRB International Coach of the Year
for the 5th time.
On 1 November 2011, Henry announced he would be stepping down as coach finishing his All Blacks career as one of the most successful rugby coaches of all time: he coached the All Blacks to 88 wins in 103 tests for a winning percentage of 85.4 percent.
teams. They have three children, Matthew, Andrew and Catherine.
suggested Henry ought to step down as coach of the All Blacks. Deaker spells out his criticism in his recent book, Henry's All Blacks. Deaker wrote the final chapter of the book, entitled The Verdict, after the loss to France at Cardiff: "We choked," he has written. There's no other word for it – choked, choked, choked."
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
. He played rugby union for Canterbury
Canterbury representative rugby union team
The Canterbury representative rugby union team, generally referred to as Canterbury, are the top representative rugby union team under the Canterbury Rugby Football Union in New Zealand...
and cricket for Otago
Otago Volts
The Otago Volts are a first class cricket team representing the Otago Cricket Association, one of six major associations that make up New Zealand Cricket....
in the Plunket Shield. Henry was heavily criticized following the All Blacks quarterfinal exit at the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
and was controversially reappointed. He was vindicated, however, when the All Blacks won the 2011 Rugby World Cup final
2011 Rugby World Cup Final
The 2011 Rugby World Cup Final was a rugby union match between France and New Zealand, the final match of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. It was played on Sunday, 23 October 2011 at Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand, and was won 8–7 by New Zealand, who thus won the World Cup.The New Zealand All Blacks...
. and is one of the most successful coaches to have ever coached the All Blacks. On 1 November 2011, Henry announced he would be stepping down as All Blacks coach of 140 matches in a career that included a series victory over the tour British and Irish Lions in 2005, five Tri Nations, three Grand Slams and one Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
title.
Early career
After attending Christchurch Boys High School where he was tutored in part by John GrahamJohn Graham (All Black)
Sir David John Graham, KNZM, CBE, ED previous president of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and a former All Black loose forward he played 22 Tests between 1958 and 1964, including 3 as captain...
, Henry studied at the University of Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
, gained a Diploma in Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
in 1969, and became a secondary school geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
and physical education teacher. He taught at two schools known for their rugby prowess – Auckland Grammar School
Auckland Grammar School
Auckland Grammar School is a state secondary school for years 9 to 13 boys in Auckland, New Zealand. It had a roll of 2,483 in 2008, including a number of boarders who live in nearby Tibbs' House, making it one of the largest schools in New Zealand...
and Kelston Boys' High School
Kelston Boys' High School
Kelston Boys' High School is an all-boys state secondary school in Kelston, a suburb in the Waitakere region of Auckland, New Zealand. It was created in 1963 when the roll of Kelston High School became too large for the site on the corner of Archibald and Gt North Rds...
. He coached both their first XVs. He began his career at Grammar in 1973 and remained there – while completing a Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Education
A Bachelor of Education is an undergraduate academic degree which qualifies the graduate as a teacher in schools.-North America:...
at Massey University
Massey University
Massey University is one of New Zealand's largest universities with approximately 36,000 students, 20,000 of whom are extramural students.The University has campuses in Palmerston North , Wellington and Auckland . Massey offers most of its degrees extramurally within New Zealand and internationally...
in 1979 until 1982, when he was appointed deputy headmaster of Kelston. Following the unexpected death of head master Jim Paton while jogging in 1987, Henry became headmaster. He held the job until resigning to become a full time coach in 1996.
His first major role was as coach of the successful Auckland
Auckland Rugby Football Union
The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. Its colours are navy blue and white in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition 16 times, more than...
provincial rugby team from 1992 to 1997. During his tenure, the team won the National Provincial Championship
National Provincial Championship
The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...
(NPC) four years in a row (1993–1996). Henry also coached the Blues in the Super 12
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
– winning the title in 1996 and 1997, and losing the final in 1998. Remarkably, the only other occasion the Blues have won the title was when he briefly returned as technical adviser in the 2003
2003 Super 12 season
The 2003 Super 12 season was the eighth season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 2003, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the playoff semi...
season.
Wales and Lions
After being overlooked for the All Blacks coaching position in 1998, Henry left New Zealand to coach WalesWales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
, at the time becoming the highest paid rugby union coach in the world for a reputed £250,000. His success with Wales resulted in him being given the nickname "the Great Redeemer" in the media there after guiding his side to eleven consecutive victories. As a result, Henry gained celebrity status in Wales. He was appointed coach of the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
for their unsuccessful 2001 tour to Australia
2001 British Lions tour to Australia
The 2001 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia was a series of matches played by the British Lions rugby union team in Australia.This tour followed the Lions' 1997 tour to South Africa and preceded the 2005 tour to New Zealand....
– this made him the first Lions' coach from outside the Home Nations
Home Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
. He left Wales in 2002 after a record defeat to Ireland in the Six Nations by 54–10, and returned to New Zealand where he was appointed defensive coach of the Blues during their successful 2003 Super 12 season
2003 Super 12 season
The 2003 Super 12 season was the eighth season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 2003, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the playoff semi...
.
All Blacks
Following the All Blacks' semi-final loss to AustraliaAustralia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
in the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
the All Blacks coaching job was advertised. Apart from incumbent coach John Mitchell
John Mitchell (rugby player)
John Eric Paul Mitchell, is a noted former rugby union player and former coach for the New Zealand All Blacks. Mitchell's rugby career blossomed with the club side Fraser-Tech after he moved from King Country in 1984 and was soon elected Waikato Colts captain...
, Henry was the only applicant. Henry appointed his former Wales assistant Steve Hansen
Steve Hansen
Steve Hansen is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player.He was the head coach of the Welsh national team. He became the ninth Welsh coach in 13 years, after Graham Henry parted company with the Welsh Rugby Union in 2002. During his first game in charge, Wales performed well but lost by...
as forwards coach, Wayne Smith
Wayne Smith (rugby player)
Wayne Ross Smith is a former rugby union footballer, and currently a rugby union coach. He is currently the backs coach for New Zealand's national rugby union team the All Blacks. He played provincial rugby for Canterbury and became an All Black in 1980. He played first five-eighth, gaining 35...
as attack coach, and having himself responsible for defence. Henry also recruited Sir Brian Lochore
Brian Lochore
Sir Brian James Lochore, ONZ, KNZM, OBE is a former rugby union footballer and coach who represented and captained the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. He played at number 8 and lock, as well as captaining the side 46 times...
as a selector. The coaching team was often referred to by rugby commentators as the Three Wise Men due to their collective experience and success.
His first Test match as coach was against the Rugby World Cup 2003 winners England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
team in New Zealand in 2004. England, coached by Sir Clive Woodward were decisively defeated in both Tests. The success did not carry on into the 2004 Tri-Nations
2004 Tri Nations Series
The 2004 Tri Nations Series, an annual rugby union competition between the national teams of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, was the ninth in the series. The competition is organised by SANZAR, a consortium of the three countries' rugby union federations...
where the All Blacks won two, and lost two Tests – they eventually finished last in the tournament. Henry and his assistants were criticised in the New Zealand media for their insistence on using a flat backline approach in attack – which they blamed for a low number of tries
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
. The 2004 end of year Tests where they played Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
opponents was more successful and culminated in a 45–6 defeat of France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
in Paris.
In 2005 he coached the All Blacks in their 3–0 series defeat of the British and Irish Lions. He then coached the All Blacks to 2005 Tri-Nations
2005 Tri Nations Series
-Round Two:-Round Three:-Round Four:-Round Five:-Round Six:-External links:* at Rugby.com.aurugby union schedule for 2005...
victory where they lost their only match of 2005 – against South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
. He then coached them to only their second ever Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
over the four Home Nations later that year. The All Blacks were named 2005 IRB International Team of the Year
IRB International Team of the Year
The IRB International Team of the Year is awarded by the International Rugby Board in the autumn each year.-List of winners:* 2001: * 2002: * 2003: * 2004: * 2005: * 2006: * 2007: * 2008: * 2009: * 2010: * 2011: -List of other IRB Awards:...
by the sport's governing body, the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
(IRB). The IRB named Henry as Coach of the Year and first five-eighth Daniel Carter
Daniel Carter (rugby player)
Daniel William "Dan" Carter is a New Zealand rugby union player.He is currently the highest points scorer in test match rugby and is regarded as one of rugby's greatest ever fly-halves.-Early life:...
as Player of the Year.
After winning the 2006 Tri-Nations
2006 Tri Nations Series
-Week 2:-Week 3:-Week 4:* All Blacks retain Bledisloe Cup-Week 5:-Week 6:-Week 7:-Week 8:-Week 9:-External links:* * *...
and winning all end-of-year Tests in the tour of England, France and Wales, Henry won the IRB Coach of the Year again in 2006. The All Blacks were also named IRB International Team of the Year
IRB International Team of the Year
The IRB International Team of the Year is awarded by the International Rugby Board in the autumn each year.-List of winners:* 2001: * 2002: * 2003: * 2004: * 2005: * 2006: * 2007: * 2008: * 2009: * 2010: * 2011: -List of other IRB Awards:...
and captain Richie McCaw Player of the Year.
Despite such successes, Henry attracted controversy for his rotation policy. This policy means that players in the squad are rotated into and out of the starting team resulting in consecutive matches in the All Blacks 2005 Grand Slam fielding entirely different starting fifteens. An extreme competitiveness developed for all positions.
Henry's All Black coaching career was in question after New Zealand lost to France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
20–18 in their 2007 World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
quarter-final. This was New Zealand's worst-ever performance in a Rugby World Cup; they had made the last four of every previous tournament. In particular, Henry was blamed for instructing his men to press for a try in the final ten minutes of the game instead of attempting a drop goal, with the All Blacks losing by only two points; the All Blacks' best option for a drop goal, centre Aaron Mauger
Aaron Mauger
Aaron Joseph Douglas Mauger is a former rugby union player who played at centre for Leicester Tigers. He previously played first five-eighths and second five-eighths for Canterbury , the Crusaders and the New Zealand All Blacks...
, never got onto the pitch. Others criticised Henry for omitting experienced winger Doug Howlett
Doug Howlett
Douglas Charles Howlett is a professional New Zealand rugby union player of Tongan descent. He is primarily a wing but he has also covered fullback at national and international levels. He currently plays in Ireland with Munster. He is the brother of former Tongan rugby league international Phil...
, the All Blacks' leading scorer of tries in this tournament, starting lock Keith Robinson
Keith Robinson (rugby player)
Keith Robinson is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer. His usual position is at lock. He was first selected for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks in 2002. His career was plagued by injury, and he was selected into the 2006 All Blacks after making a remarkable comeback from a...
(who was both injured and had had minimum game time throughout the World Cup) as well as the injured flyhalf Daniel Carter (after earlier proclaiming that his team had enough depth not to force any injured players onto the field), and playing Mils Muliaina
Mils Muliaina
Junior Malili Muliaina , better known as Mils Muliaina, is a rugby union player. He plays for the Chiefs in Super Rugby and New Zealand at international level. He was born in Salesi, Samoa, then moved with his family to Invercargill, New Zealand, at the age of two...
, widely considered one of the best fullbacks in rugby, out of position at outside centre.
Henry never stated that referee Wayne Barnes
Wayne Barnes
Wayne Barnes is an English international rugby union referee. He was educated at Whitecross School in Lydney, where he was head boy, Monmouth School and at the University of East Anglia. He became a professional referee in April 2005, giving up a career in law to do so...
was culpable for the defeat, as Barnes not only allowed several French ruck infringements to go unpunished, but also sin-binned Luke McAlister
Luke McAlister
Charles Luke McAlister is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays first five-eighths and second five-eighths ....
and missed a forward pass in the build up to the decisive French try scored by Yannick Jauzion
Yannick Jauzion
Yannick Jauzion is a French rugby union footballer. He plays at centre for Stade Toulousain and the French national team....
. This later lead to him receiving a fair sportmans award, the second New Zealander after Tana Umaga
Tana Umaga
Jonathan Ionatana Falefasa "Tana" Umaga, ONZM is a New Zealand rugby union footballer and former captain of the national team, the All Blacks. He played for the Hurricanes starting with the Super 12's inception in 1996 and took over the captaincy in 2003...
. Later, however, he admitted that blaming the referee had not helped his cause. After some speculation that he would leave, Henry applied for the post after it became vacant, competing with Robbie Deans
Robbie Deans
Robert Maxwell Deans is the current coach of the Wallabies and former All Black. He is the former coach of the Crusaders. He also served as assistant to former All Blacks coach John Mitchell between late 2001 and 2003...
.
On 7 December 2007, Henry's contract as All Blacks coach was extended for a further two years, beating Crusaders's coach Robbie Deans, who subsequently accepted the head coaching position of the Australian rugby union team, the Wallabies
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
. The reappointment produced a mixed reception with the public, media and past players; some applauded the decision while others considered it a mistake. The move to reappoint Henry was also significant as it was the first time that an All Black coach was reappointed after defeat in the World Cup. This has been very divisive in New Zealand with many commentators declaring that it was a case of politics at work.
Upon his reappointment Henry stated that Richie McCaw
Richie McCaw
Richard Hugh "Richie" McCaw is a New Zealand rugby union player, and is the current test captain. He plays in the openside flanker position for the New Zealand, Crusaders and Canterbury rugby teams...
would retain the captaincy of the All Blacks, and declared that he would be looking for new tight forwards for the All Blacks.
In July 2009, Henry was reappointed as the coach of the All Blacks through till the end of 2011. This contract saw him coaching the All Blacks through the 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
which was held in New Zealand and won by the All Blacks beating France 8-7 in the final.
During a series against France 2009 for contest of the Dave Gallagher Trophy he did not tell the All Blacks that they needed to win by a specified margin to secure the trophy. He said this was done because the All Blacks were "relatively young" and didn't need the extra pressure. This was not accepted as sound reasoning by all players.
At the IRB Awards in 2011, Henry and his team both captured awards. The All Blacks were named IRB International Team of the Year
IRB International Team of the Year
The IRB International Team of the Year is awarded by the International Rugby Board in the autumn each year.-List of winners:* 2001: * 2002: * 2003: * 2004: * 2005: * 2006: * 2007: * 2008: * 2009: * 2010: * 2011: -List of other IRB Awards:...
and Graham Henry IRB International Coach of the Year
IRB International Coach of the Year
The IRB International Coach of the Year is awarded by the International Rugby Board in the autumn each year.-List of winners:* 2001: Rod Macqueen * 2002: Bernard Laporte * 2003: Clive Woodward * 2004: Jake White * 2005: Graham Henry...
for the 5th time.
On 1 November 2011, Henry announced he would be stepping down as coach finishing his All Blacks career as one of the most successful rugby coaches of all time: he coached the All Blacks to 88 wins in 103 tests for a winning percentage of 85.4 percent.
Personal life
Henry met his wife Raewyn at university. She has also coached first class sports teams – the Auckland and Welsh netballNetball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
teams. They have three children, Matthew, Andrew and Catherine.
Criticism
Following the 2007 rugby world cup defeat, close friend Murray DeakerMurray Deaker
Murray "Deaks" Deaker, ONZM, is a New Zealand sports radio and television talk show host, acclaimed sports author and New Zealand icon.He was a former club rugby lock and an opening batsman in club cricket, and prior to working in radio was principal of Takapuna Grammar School. As well as radio he...
suggested Henry ought to step down as coach of the All Blacks. Deaker spells out his criticism in his recent book, Henry's All Blacks. Deaker wrote the final chapter of the book, entitled The Verdict, after the loss to France at Cardiff: "We choked," he has written. There's no other word for it – choked, choked, choked."