WELLINGTON, 20 December 2003 — The New Zealand Rugby Union dumped John Mitchell as All Blacks coach yesterday, replacing him with Graham Henry as the “most qualified person” for the job.
Mitchell’s position had been on the line since the All Blacks were beaten in the World Cup semifinals last month and NZRU chief executive Chris Moller pointedly said there was a need to “lift the bar”.
Henry was Mitchell’s only rival for the post and won the nod based on his past performance with Auckland, Wales and the British Lions.
“In the board’s view, Graham Henry is the most qualified person to coach the All Blacks and achieve the very high standards we expect from them,” NZRU president and former All Black captain Jock Hobbs said in making the announcement. Hobbs said Henry had an outstanding record as a coach and his appointment after a robust interview process “reflects the critical role of the All Blacks coach.”
However, the NZRU held back from endorsing Henry as the ideal person to take the All Blacks through to the next World Cup in 2007, limiting his appointment to a two-year term.
No decision has been made about an assistant coach and despite media speculation, Henry said his successor at Wales, Steve Hansen, was not necessarily top of the list.
“Obviously he’s a quality coach but there’s a number of people in New Zealand who could also do the job, and I think that’s good for New Zealand rugby,” Henry said, singling out Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper and former Irish coach Warren Gatland, who is now with Wasps in England.
Henry, 57, didn’t feel his age counted against him. “My experience I think was a key factor. I have been dreaming about getting this job for 30 years, so I’ve been trying to plan and get myself right for it.”
He believed he was a better coach than when he first applied for the All Blacks post in 1995, and said being in Wales and coaching the British Lions had broadened his horizons. Henry had kept a low profile over the past three weeks while Mitchell mounted a public lobbying campaign to save his position. Hobbs paid tribute to Mitchell for his work with the All Blacks and while unable to win the World Cup he has won the Tri-nations twice and brought back the Bledisloe Cup. Henry’s coaching record in New Zealand also makes impressive reading.
He coached Auckland in the national championship from 1992-97 winning four titles, while he won the inaugural Super 12 competition in 1996 with the Blues and repeated the feat the following year.
In 1998 he left New Zealand to coach Wales where he enjoyed celebrity status in 1999 as the side pulled off 10 consecutive victories which included an away win over France and a famous last-gasp victory against England at Wembley.
But the honeymoon began to turn sour after Wales were dumped in the 1999 World Cup quarterfinals by Australia and his win ratio slipped the following year.
He was roundly criticized by the British press in 2001 when the Lions lost their three-test series in Australia after winning the first match and players Matt Dawson and Austin Healey publicly voiced their concern of his coaching style.
