Henry should be thankful for small mercies

Whoa there!
All Blacks coach Graham Henry is out of order in labelling AB fans "arrogant and disrespectful".
If he thinks comments like that will help prepare us for his side possibly losing a game or two in the Tri Nations then he should think again.
Sure, the expectations of some fans have probably increased since the 3-0 whitewash of the Lions.
But, hey, Kiwi rugby folk are not easily fooled and the vast majority would accept that Sir Clive's mob were pretty ordinary, to say the least.
And that the Tri Nations will almost certainly be an entirely different kettle of fish.
I say "almost" because neither the Springboks nor the Wallabies looked exactly hot stuff in the second of the Mandela trophy matches last weekend.
There were mistakes aplenty and you got the feeling that unless they raise the bar big time against the AB's they won't see which way they go.
Anyway back to Mr Henry.
There are at least two points he needs to take on board when he starts taking swipes at AB fans.
Firstly, rugby is very much a religion in New Zealand. Just about every man, woman and their dog knows the game inside out, as evidenced by a wonderful story told by Lions assistant coach Ian McGeechan on their recent tour.
McGeechan had taken time out to visit a small tea and coffee shop with the idea of reading a newspaper without having some rugby know-it-all assail him with their opinions.
He was delighted to find the said shop had only one other customer, an old lady shuffling around with the aid of a walking stick.
But if he thought he had found the peace and quiet he was seeking he was in for a surprise.
One glance from the old lady was enough, in a twinkle she was at his tableside, saying she recognised him as Ian McGeechan and then giving him 15 minutes of why the Lions were struggling, and how they could improve
And, according to McGeechan, she wasn't far wrong in what she was saying either!
The second point Mr Henry needs to digest is that AB fans have become very used of their team winning.
There haven't been many seasons in their whole history where they haven't had the measure of their opposition.
And when you are accustomed to your team being successful, it's only human nature that your expectations of them soar higher and higher, It's the old case, isn't it, of familiarity breeding contempt.
Mr Henry should consider himself lucky that he is coaching the AB's and not teams like, say, Canada, Romania or even Fiji and Samoa.
I have a feeling that were he ever in that position he would quickly yearn for the type of support given the AB's now and always.
If ever a guy should be thankful for small mercies he is it.