Editorial: Halbergs so right on big night

Congratulations to Israel Dagg and Zac Guildford for their involvement with the World Cup-winning All Blacks, named supreme winner at the 2011 Halberg Awards last night.

It was a fitting honour, given that in other years the All Blacks could win the Tri-Nations, Bledisloe Cup, go through a Northern Hemisphere tour unbeaten, spin balls on their fingers for hours on end and then boot them into rubbish tins miles away without looking, and still not get a look in from the esteemed judges.

The World Cup is now their passport to success.

For Sir Graham Henry, who has come a long way since I shared a celebratory beer with him in his Kelston Boys' High School office following the Blues' inaugural Super 12 success in 1996, and Richie McCaw, it was just another day at the office. More accolades - this time Coach of the Year and Sportsman of the Year.

These two men kept their heads screwed on throughout a World Cup campaign which was more difficult than they made it appear.

Henry's outward handling of the tournament-ending injury to Dan Carter, for one instance, was superb. In reality, the Canterbury No 10 was crucial to the campaign. His performance against France in the pool match was so effortlessly influential, that it didn't become fully obvious how much he was missed until the final against the same team.

As for McCaw, who got the nod ahead of a field that included fellow All Black flanker and possibly the better performer in 2011, Jerome Kaino, it came down to leadership and pure guts. Playing with a damaged foot throughout, he fronted week on week. And while he was not at his absolute best, the All Blacks were all the better for his presence.

The Halberg Awards generally create a few arguments, but this year they have honoured the major achievement of 2011. And they have pointed to the biggest event of 2012, the London Olympics - legendary shotputter Valerie Adams winning Sportswoman of the Year for the sixth time, and junior field athlete phenomenon, Jacko Gill, honoured as the emerging talent.

Once again the awards have also shown that our sportspeople continue to box above their weight, the Breakers, featuring our very own Paul Henare, a prime example of being unlucky on the night.