Graham Henry. Photo / Getty Images
The All Blacks' annus horribilis took on a sepia tone yesterday as coach Graham Henry tried to downplay the obsession about the World Cup.
As Henry attempted to modify the 2007 accounts, chief executive Steve Tew offered the extraordinary admission that the NZRU did not think Henry's reappointment
would have created such widespread disapproval.
"We didn't take into account how people would react to Graham's appointment," Tew said on radio. "We now understand there is a middle ground of New Zealand that are at best apathetic and at worst upset about the appointment - the only way we can overcome that is to do our job well, get things right for the team to play well and hopefully slowly win people back."
A noticeable charm offensive has begun from the NZRU and All Blacks. The team is interacting more with the public and rugby clubs while officials have also become more accessible.
Meanwhile Henry, in response to an observation from caretaker England coach Rob Andrew, denied that New Zealand suffered any obsession about the World Cup. So that explains why he wanted to place the All Blacks in the Cotton Wool Club for the entire Super 14 until he was told they had to return for the last half of the series; why he rested players during the test campaign; why they travelled early to the tournament; and why the NZRU's annual report listed winning the World Cup as the "key priority for the year, not just for the All Blacks but for the whole of the NZRU".
Henry said his side had won every competition during his tenure except the first Tri-Nations and had then looked on the World Cup as the next obstacle.
"I don't think it is an obsession. In fact our statement about the World Cup which we looked at every day was to enjoy the challenge of the RWC and be stimulated by it really, rather than to win it," he said. "They might be just words but that is how we approached it. But I think in this country Rugby World Cup is pretty important to a lot of people, gets a lot of press and no matter how we handle it as a group of people in the All Black environment, it is very hard to change what is outside. You are never going to change that.
"So I don't think we have been obsessed as a team about Rugby World Cup. We are disappointed we did not win it, obviously, and that has caused a bit of pain, but as I say, every test match this team plays and every competition they are in is extremely important to the side."
Video: Henry announces All Black team