Mains calls for Henry's head
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:14
The calls for Graham Henry to step down as All Blacks coach have started, with former All Blacks mentor, Laurie Mains saying six years is too long to coach the New Zealand national team.
Mains says it is hard to judge from the outside, but he is having trouble trying to pick up the pattern the All Blacks are trying to play.
Mains highlighted the examples of the Blues, Wales, the British and Irish Lions and now the All Blacks where Henry has been involved.
While he respects what Henry has done in his time, he believes the coach's contract should be severed this year.
"To be fair to Graham he's had some great successes as a coach, but every team he's coached, towards the end of his time with them, they've dropped away," Mains told Newstalk ZB.
"That sort of says to me that the pattern's too complicated for the players to accurately implement. If that is the case, that will impact the skill part of their game, I think, as they start to force things."
He says Chiefs coach Ian Foster, Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper and even Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder could be considered as alternatives.
"I was really impressed with the way the Chiefs put their games together this year. They played aggressive and sensible rugby.
"I was terribly impressed with the way the Crusaders - and they were a young team - came away very strong towards the end."
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