Former All Blacks coach Graham Henry is anticipating a much-improved season for Leinster as he passes on some of his wealth of experience to Leo Cullen and his side during their pre-season preparations.
Leinster suffered the ignominy of exiting the Champions Cup in the pool stages in the last campaign in Cullen’s first year in charge.
Henry’s sojourn in the capital is all too brief, but the New Zealander’s still believes his stay can prove beneficial, particularly for the Leinster boss and his youthful coaching team.
“I had a look at a lot of games before I came,” Henry said.
“I’m just trying to help develop two young coaches.
“They’ve had very little experience, so they’ve asked me to come and share some ideas.”
Angling-obsessed Henry ruled out extending his time with the province, explaining: “I’m here for two weeks. I’ve got other things I have to do.
“There’s big fish to catch in New Zealand.
“I think you can make a difference in two weeks.
“I think you can recognise things that need to be improved.
“The big think about this team is that they’re so enthusiastic, so keen to get better. I’ve been very impressed the two days I’ve been here.”
Expanding on his motivation for the trip to Dublin and what he had hoped to pass on, the 70-year-old added: “I’ve coached for 50 years, so hopefully with that experience you learn a few things and I can pass on some things which helped me in my coaching to Leo and his team.
“And to recognise things in the team that need tweaking and need improving.
“I still love the game.
“I still love being involved and helping, coaching, and trying to assist people.
“It’s always been there, it gives me a buzz.
“To be invited to a famous club like Leinster is a privilege and hopefully I can help.”
The wily tactician added: “I think the catch-pass, running straight lines, punch-passing across the body so you don’t take up space, I think those are big skills that needs attention, for most teams, probably.
“They’ll be disappointed with the last year
“But coming off a World Cup when you’ve got 19 or 17 Leinster players in the Wolrd Cup, that’s a huge ask because that’s the biggest rugby tournament in the world.
“The guys were very focused on that, it didn’t go as well as they hoped, so they’ll be a bit flat coming back here and that’s understandable.
“They’re not putting up with that this year, there’s also a Lions tour and I think that motivates players even more.
“There’s another goal at the end of the season, so I think they’ll be on the job.”
Sir Graham Henry watches on at the #LeinsterOTS in @GreystonesRFC. pic.twitter.com/nClyBZVrkR
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) August 2, 2016
Henry doesn’t necessarily believe success can be bought and offered an interesting insight into the role money plays in the game.
He was scathing of what could be regarded as short-termism in the club game in France, pointing out that a failure to develop home-grown talent has contributed to the national side lurching from one nadir to another in recent years.
“The French are buying teams, aren’t they,” he mused.
“It’s a bigger challenge because there has been a lot of money spent to get players all around the world in some of these big professional teams over there.
“But I think other sides have got the ability to challenge that, as long as they get their game all together and everybody is on the job.
“At an international level, I think there is probably an advantage [for their opponents] of having a lot of overseas players playing in the French competition in particular, because they’re not developing their own players.
“I think that’s showing, whereas you are developing your own players here.”
Henry’s compatriot Joe Schmidt has been touted as a future New Zealand coach, although current incumbent Steve Hansen recently had his contract extended to 2019.
Henry offered the following advice to the Ireland boss: “I think he probably needs to go back home if he wants to do that, and he’ll have his own ambitions, I’m sure.
“But I think the rules are that you have to coach in New Zealand to be appointed All Blacks coach, so he’ll have to fulfil that.
“He might want to stay here.”
