All Black boss brings in World Cup-winning coach
NEWS: World Cup-winning coach Graham Henry has been appointed as an All Black selector, New Zealand boss Dave Rennie said on Tuesday.
Henry, 79, was in charge when New Zealand lifted the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and won 88 of his 103 matches in charge.
“We are really excited to bring ‘Ted’ in as a selector,” New Zealand head coach Rennie told reporters in Auckland.
“He is very passionate and he loves the jersey. He watches a lot of rugby. He has some pretty strong opinions on players, so the conversations we have had have been brilliant.”
Rennie, who succeeded the sacked Scott Robertson in March, said that when he contacted Henry on Monday, the veteran had listed around 60 players 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.
Senior assistant coach Neil Barnes and Rennie will be the other selectors.
Rennie’s first Test in charge of the All Blacks will be against France in Christchurch on July 4, followed by home matches against Italy and Ireland.
New Zealand will then depart for an eight-match tour of South Africa in August and September, including four Tests against the Springboks – dubbed “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry”.
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