Henry sees bright AB future
21 Sep 2009
After the Springboks dominated the All Blacks in this year’s Tri-Nations, Graham Henry believes his side will grow from their 33-6 win over the Wallabies.
The Springboks whitewashed the All Blacks on route to their third Tri-Nations title, while the latter dominated the Wallabies in their campaign.
However, compared to the young Wallabies side, Henry admitted that the Springboks boast more experience and are a side his team struggles against.
‘We didn’t make the same sort of errors but we weren’t under the same sort of pressure,’ he told the New Zealand Herald. ‘It’s a different game against different opposition.
‘At the moment we’re struggling to handle that South African pressure, particularly if we can’t get solid first phase ball. It takes a wee bit of time for these guys to be competitive against a side that is choc-full of internationals who have played a lot of test matches together.’
Henry expects 10 to 12 players, such as Carl Hayman, Ali Williams, Aaron Mauger and Doug Howlett, to return from injury or overseas and to join the squad in the near future.
The head coach believes these players would spark his team into form and will improve their performances against the Springboks.
‘There’s a lot of players coming back from injury and there may be one or two come back from overseas next year. When all those guys come back, and with the current squad, there’s going to be a lot of competition for places. That should improve the side immensely.
‘The big test is when we play the boys from South Africa again and see how we function at the lineout.’
33 Comments
21 Sep 2009, 12:06 pm
Normal business will, no doubt, be resumed in 2010.
21 Sep 2009, 12:06 pm
Ted. Formerly a genuine bona fide Dragon Coach.
21 Sep 2009, 12:08 pm
#1 TheTackler: normal business will no doubt be resumed in 2011 (3rd RWC QF knockout defeat for sourpuss Henry for avoidance of doubt)
21 Sep 2009, 12:12 pm
Mauger is injury-prone, Howlett is done. Hayman has also picked up a lot of injuries and Ali Williams is a bellend.
21 Sep 2009, 12:18 pm
#3 Big Hit: No English Coach in a phucken thousand years (make that a hundred years) has ever fashioned the win/lose record of Ted, “The Great Redeemer”.
But still you scorn him.
Look into your heart Biggles….and purge yourself of this hate.
21 Sep 2009, 12:20 pm
#3 Big Hit: Exactly, maybe they might get to a semi, but most proberly a quarter exit is on the cards.
21 Sep 2009, 12:22 pm
#5 cane: Well so far he’s lost two World Cups, his Welsh coaching position after multiple thumpings and a gift Lions tour. That miserable sidekick of his that masquerades as a forwards coach has achieved something similar winning a meagre 10 of 32 tests as coach of Wales.
No sorry cane, I’m pretty sure you could’ve coached that NZ team to those wins in 2005/06 and better still you might even manage to smile unlike those begrudging pair of sourpuss misery guts.
21 Sep 2009, 12:36 pm
Which 10-12 players??
Williams
Kahui
Mealamu
Sivi-played in 09
Smith-played in 09
Hayman
Mauger
Howlett (who will be 32)
Due to arrive back in 2011
Jack
Only one returning in 2010
Evans
Tuitupou
Sommerville
Kelleher
Collins
Unlikely to come back-NO WORD OR CONFIRMATIONS-plus many with major gripes with current management
NZ XV in 2010
1.Woodcock
2.Hore
3.Tialata/Franks
4.Thorn
5.Williams
6.Kaino
7.McCaw
8.Read
9.Cowan
10.Carter
11.Rokocoko
12.Nonu/McAllister
13.Smith/Kahui
14.Sivi/Toeava
15.Mils
Backline exactly the same
Williams only change in pack
21 Sep 2009, 12:46 pm
#7 Big Hit:
At every WC there is ONE Winner and 15 Losers.
One bad match, or in the knockout stage, One half-bad match and you get an early trip home.
As I said. Not ONE SINGLE English Coach in 100 years, with more than 15 Test Matches to his credit, comes close to Ted’s achievement in Test Rugby with the AB’s.
And just for good measure he gave Wales their 1st ever win against the Republic of Saffadom.
Open your heart Big Titty…let the light shine in.
21 Sep 2009, 13:00 pm
#9 cane: Actually there’s a 1st, 2nd and 3rd at every World Cup, father Ted in all his greatness has managed to finish 8th twice. He hasn’t won anything apart from the 3N (one against a SA 2nd team in ’07) and Mitchell was sacked for finishing 3rd in a WC despite having a similar overall win/loss record.
It’s all very well judging a coach with a well of quality like NZ have had in 2005/06 but a true mark of a good coach is doing well with limited resources and delivering under pressure, it is here where Henry comes up short both for Wales, the Lions and NZ. But if you’re happy, it’s all good
21 Sep 2009, 13:16 pm
#10 Big Hit:
Ted’s Welsh record stacks up pretty well.
Wining percentages of Welsh coaches of recent Times:
-Gareth Jenkins (30%)
-Scott Johnson (0%)
-Mike Ruddock (65%)
-Steve Hansen(35%)
-Graham Henry (61%)
-Kevin Bowring (48%)
Open the wound Biggles….Expel these Demons that eat at your Soul.
Let love be your guide.
All you need is Love. (where have I heard that before….love, love, all you need is Luke.)
21 Sep 2009, 13:19 pm
While I’m not a card-carrying member of the Father Ted Fan Club, one cannot help but to “looks at the scoreboard”.
In 1998, when Wales was under different tutelage, the Dragons went down the Boks by an embarrassing and record towelling of 96-13. Just 4 points short of a century!
One year later, the 1999 Dragons turned the tables and easily clocked the Yarpies by an easy-peasy emphatic 29-10.
The two Welsh teams, bar the usual injuries and annual retirements, were essentially the same.
The Welsh had, however, changed their coach. In 1999, the Welsh had brought in one Graham Henry from NZ who had already won three Super 12 titles with his Auckland Blues.
And, with his advice, a humiliating 96-13 defeat was miraculously “transformed” into a 29-10 triumph only one year later!
Impressive? Absolutely.
21 Sep 2009, 13:25 pm
#11 cane: Mike Ruddock won a 6N Grand Slam as did Warren Gatland who you’ve conspicuously left off the list. Henry won nothing – fact.
By all means keep him until 2011, the writings on the wall anyway. Just don’t go blaming Wayne this time, unlike old headmaster sourpuss Barnesy is one of the sport’s good guys.
21 Sep 2009, 13:29 pm
#12 TheTackler: he also brought in ineligible Kiwi players who weren’t even Welsh causing a massive scandal, blew the most talented Lions side ever to leave our shores (yes more talented than ’71/74 tackler) and shipped an humiliating 50 points to fellow celtic minnows Ireland. As for the Bok win, by all accounts there was turmoil in the Bok camp before that game. As I said he’s not great at working with limited resources.
21 Sep 2009, 13:36 pm
#13 Big Hit:
There will be no need to blame Barnsey.
He owes us one. And he knows it.
21 Sep 2009, 13:39 pm
#15 cane: Barnesy already gave the thug Read a pass on a yellow card for his dirty late hit on Habana. I’d say it’s all square now.
21 Sep 2009, 13:42 pm
#14 Big Hit:
At least Ted got a win with the Lions.
More than can be said for any Sassenach over the last 40 years.
21 Sep 2009, 13:49 pm
#16 Big Hit:
NO PHUCKEN WAY. Sorry I’m shouting.
The recompense will be required in a tight WC match. Barnsey knows this, the world knows this, Karma knows this. Even Big Titty knows this.
It is the only way he can save his Mortal Soul. (and avoid the meat cleaver).
21 Sep 2009, 13:53 pm
21 Sep 2009, 13:57 pm
gees, all these people hoping the ABs crash out two years from the event… you guys are just really sad… must have such squalor in your lives to be wishing on something about 720 days away..
no, only the spineless ones caught a boat home, the same ones that come to a foreign website and bend over backwards more times then a gymnast doing a routine…
I pity you BH… I really do…
21 Sep 2009, 14:11 pm
#20 poppa69: well the AB coaches are already talking about the World Cup so why can’t we? nobody’s hoping for anything, it’s just the way it’s gonna go down, we both know it poppa. Headless chicken rugby doesn’t win RWCs.
21 Sep 2009, 14:12 pm
#8 mshiniwami: Major gripes with management , i doubt we will ever see the likes of Jerry in the black again under Henry
21 Sep 2009, 14:16 pm
#21 Big Hit: believe all you like BH, but we will lose to France in the pool games, and then walk over the pasty poms in the 1/4sss cause you guys have never beaten us in the World cup, and with 6 victories all time for you to crow about, cant see it happening ever…
21 Sep 2009, 14:21 pm
#23 poppa69: nah you’ll beat France and Argie and Boks will stomp you in the semis, we’ll beat Aus in the other semi and the final will be a repeat of 07. Ya heard it here first.
21 Sep 2009, 14:23 pm
you drinking BH ?? because looking at your team now, theres no way they would get out of their group at the moment…
21 Sep 2009, 14:27 pm
#25 poppa69: Jonny is fit again, we shall reign supreme.
21 Sep 2009, 14:31 pm
#26 Big Hit: haha, how long will he last ? hes forever injured now… age is catching him, perhaps its the weight of his “knighthood” for services to rugby bwahaha what a joke.. he only got it because Eng finally won something worthy of note…
21 Sep 2009, 14:57 pm
#1 TheTackler:
Yes the repeat of 2009 .
2010 and 2011 to be the same for the AB’S
The dreaded “C” word to be normal NZ Rugby terminology.
CHOKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
21 Sep 2009, 15:06 pm
#3 Big Hit: You’re farking local league is so polluted with imports from around the world while your own players warm the bench, and this all to make your league more exciting. I struggle to see how your English players even have time to get injured with their limited amount of gametime.
21 Sep 2009, 23:27 pm
#28 haaibok: I looked up “choker” in a reference book. Allan Donald and Lance Klusener’s names came up.
21 Sep 2009, 23:30 pm
#26 Big Hit: Jonny blows a foofer-valve these days merely by changing his mind. So many sick-notes, the rain-forests are in peril.
21 Sep 2009, 23:40 pm
#14 Big Hit: He won four 3Ns on the trot with the limited resources of a entire nation containing a total population of barely an averagely-sized city. Sure, he won’t will lots of silverware by coaching the national team of Pitcairn Island, but with the limited resources with which he’s steeped in, he’s done quite well. Not perfectly — thanks largely to an inept British “ref” (actually a fish-and-chips vendor in disguise) who lost the contact lens from his only good eye. Hey, nobody’s perfect. Not even Sir Clayve Woodworm.
22 Sep 2009, 01:05 am
Sure, he won’t WIN lots of silverware…
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