Graham Henry stays mum on captaincy preference

By WYNNE GRAY

Graham Henry has not settled on his All Black captain and is in no great rush.

The coach nominated the finish of Super 12 pool play as a suitable time for the national selectors to consider the choices and make their collective decisions.

"I want all four of us [Henry, Wayne Smith, Steve Hansen and Sir Brian Lochore] to discuss this. We all have to agree," Henry said yesterday.

"I don't see it as a problem that I haven't made my choice yet, there are a number of candidates. Now is not the appropriate time, we all need to sit down and chat about it."

That meeting may have to include Smith on a telephone conference call if he was still coaching his Northampton club in England.

The discussion would also sort out the bulk of the two sides for the June 1 All Black trial at Eden Park.

"That trial is going to be quite significant in terms of selection for the first test against England," Henry said. "There will be some grey areas in selection and the game will help us."

Crusaders skipper Reuben Thorne is the incumbent captain and has led the side in their last 14 tests.

Henry had been encouraged by the Super 12 form of a number of players who had little, if any, international experience.

But the onus would be on them to keep performing each weekend and then in the trial if they were to make the All Blacks.

"It is tougher for the new blokes to crack it," Henry agreed, "and so it should be."

Henry used the example of someone like Doug Howlett who had been rated the best wing in the world a year ago, had a slow start to the Super 12, but showed flashes of form at the weekend.

Howlett has an international pedigree for the selectors to acknowledge while a youngster such as Nick Evans, who has been prominent, has to be sharp every game.

The toughest work for the selectors is assessing players on the fringes and working out whether they can cut it at the next level.

"Most of those can't afford to play indifferently if they are going to be All Blacks, we are not worried about those who have been there before," Henry said.

Some newer players bubbling to the surface are those such as Sione Lauaki, Mose Tuiali'i and Angus Macdonald, all loose forwards who are responding to each others' performances.

The All Black trial will be a selection test and preparation for the first international against England at Carisbrook on June 12.

"It will be a genuine trial, it will be invaluable because we go into the test match against the world champions without any build-up."

The coach offered no thoughts about who might lead the All Blacks against England. But his skipper had to be an automatic choice, highly respected and someone who led the side in all areas.

Henry was impressed by the Chiefs' victory where they exhibited a lot of team strengths after a tough trip back from South Africa and disruptions from more injuries.

"They played out of their skin, the performance was astronomical, very impressive. They showed a lot of togetherness."

The Blues had also shown some fightback after the shocking effort against the Stormers.

"I think every time we go to a game we want to clarify things."