'Johnno' gets Henry support
Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:50
All Black coach Graham Henry made a humble statement on Friday, insisting that Martin Johnson was the right man to turn England into world beaters once more.
But Henry, whose side will seek to wrap up a Grand Slam tour by beating England at Twickenham on Saturday, fears Johnson may not be given sufficient time to rebuild, judging by the critical mauling he has suffered in the wake of last Saturday's 6-42 defeat by South Africa.
Another heavy defeat at the hands of New Zealand on Saturday would leave Johnson under serious pressure, but Henry believes the man who captained England to World Cup glory in 2003 can overcome a sticky start, just as Henry did during his time with Wales.
"I remember a young coach who came over to coach a team called Wales in 1998," Henry recalled with a twinkle in his eye.
"In their first four games they lost three times. The coach received a letter from a guy quite highly-placed in the Welsh game
offering him a one-way first-class ticket back to New Zealand.
"But he hung in there and won a few games [11 in a row] after that. It might be a similar situation for Martin [Johnson]. Maybe he needs patience.
"He's a man of high standards who achieved great things in the past. He was respected by his peers and led by example.
"But you must give him space. It's not as if the team he's coaching is full of experience. The media can kill him or support him."
AFP
