Sir Graham Henry is back in the All Blacks’ fold as a selector.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Former All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry has joined Dave Rennie All Blacks’ set-up as a selector.
Henry coached the All Blacks to a Rugby World Cup title in 2011.
Henry, 79, coached the All Blacks to 88 wins in 103 tests between 2004-11.
“We are really excited to bring ‘Ted’ in as a selector,” Rennie told reporters on Tuesday morning.
“I’ve had a number of chats to him even prior to applying for the job, just to get ahead around the legacy and all the work he did around leadership, what he found and what he learnt during his time as All Black coach.
“He did talk about the impact that Sir Brian Lochore had when he (Henry) was coaching the All Blacks as a selector and that sort of got me thinking.
“He is very passionate, he loves the jersey. He watches a lot of rugby. He has some pretty strong opinions on players and so on, so conversations we have had have been brilliant.
“Him coming in from outside the group, watching, I think has been a really good fit. I’m really excited.”
Rennie, who was appointed head coach in early March, said when he contacted Henry yesterday, the former coach had about 60 players he wanted to talk about.
“Which is very much Ted. He is an avid watcher of the game, and that’s important for us. We are hoping that with his eye he may see something a little different to us which will help people within the squad,” Rennie said.
Sir Graham Henry (L), Sir Steve Hansen and Sir Brian Lochore at an All Blacks’s squad announcment in May, 2006.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
“He’s such a good man, a lot of experience, wise, he’s been in this position so it will be great to have him bounce things off.”
Henry assisted the Black Ferns coaches in the lead-up to and at the Women’s Rugby World Cup, which New Zealand won in 2022.
Rennie is back in the country while his Japanese club Kobe Steelers is on a break.
The All Blacks’ first test of the year is against France in Christchurch on 4 July.