New Zealand expects: The new All Black challenge facing Graham Henry

Graham Henry’s re-appointment as the All Blacks head man came with one great positive and one glaring negative.

There is no arguing with the greatest record any rugby union team in history has amassed, as the All Blacks did between the last two World Cups – with their dominance in 2005 and 2006 being complete.

The Blacks whitewashed the Lions, remained undefeated at home, never lost to Northern Hemisphere opposition, maintained a five-year sequence of Bledisloe Cups – and won three Tri Nations titles. It was a golden era for New Zealand rugby.
 
But the negative was the all-consuming focus on winning the World Cup, a focus endorsed by the NZRU.  Destruction of New Zealand’s 2007 Super 14 and creation of considerable ill will from the domestic clubs – and the ultimate retention of a man who had failed in his singular purpose.
 
The critical aspect of Henry’s second reign in charge, as it were, will be how the lessons of the World Cup failure have been absorbed.  Will selections be on form, or on loyalty – often a problem with a long-term international coach?  Will there be a different implementation of player thinking, considering the flaws so cruelly exposed of the 2007 leadership model?  With the world having watched the All Blacks dominance so keenly in the last four years, will there be new weapons in the Henry coaching arsenal?
 
But key will be how rotation will feature in the new hybrid of the All Blacks, especially considering specific player departures.  Alternation of players has its benefits, and there is no doubting the advantage of having multiple international class players in each position.  But as three consecutive World Cups have now proven, there must be an elite XV. With so many positions in the All Black unit now contentious, should game time be given to the obvious choice on form? Or will rotation again be needed to assess the best player?
 
As proven since the international retirement of arguably New Zealand’s greatest outside centre, Tana Umaga, this position has been unable to be filled long-term by the brains trust.  No fewer than seven men have filled this position in four years; with none having more than two consecutive games. This has hindered not only the development of the players in this position, but also the combinations within the 15. Individual brilliance may be the greatest asset in attack, but it is the amalgamation and trust of an entire team that makes a great defensive operation.
 
And with such player departures, positions such as prop, lock and centre - despite massive depth - will be contentious positions to fill, considering how vital they are in the machinery of a team.  Further to this, 2008 will again be another year of the exodus, with Dan Carter and Jerry Collins likely to be off shore at season’s end.
 
Unlike recent years, the All Blacks this year will face very credible challenges from their dire opposition.  Martin Johnson’s England have proved that they are emergent – and the new breed of young players such as Danny Cipriani and Lesley Vainikolo, combined with veterans Jonny Wilkinson and Mike Tindall, will ensure that the All Blacks are tested. 

Ireland will know that there is no better proving ground for 12 months of shame than in New Zealand – and Brian O’Driscoll will want to improve on his last painful memories of a Kiwi international tour.
 
But the greatest contest will come from the conventional foes.  New world champions South Africa will bring their greatest weapon – confidence – in droves to the upcoming Tri Nations.  But it will be Robbie Deans’ Wallabies who will strike fear into the heart of All Black faithful.
 
Deans comes with unparalleled intellectual property on the New Zealand game, and of their greatest players, having nurtured Richie McCaw and Dan Carter through the Canterbury system.  While the Australians have been equally affected by player losses, they have been in rebuilding for some time, and while John Connelly was far from a poor coach, he did not bring the dimensions that the South’s most successful domestic coach in history brings to the fold.
 
This year will see the All Blacks play host to the English and the Irish, before embarking on a gruelling Tri-Nations campaign with four Tests against the Wallabies, ending with a Northern Hemisphere Grand Slam tour at year’s end. 
 
This year will see the All Blacks battle hardened, with all of their elite players going through an intense Super 14 battle – where the New Zealand outfits have been powerful.  But history shows two Black phenomena after a World Cup, dominance from a nation smarting from failed expectation – or embarrassment from a team suffering from mental collapse.
 
We shall await the first haka with much anticipation.