David Leggat: Coaches' role-swapping adds juice to final lap of the season

Graham Henry will take charge of the All Black forwards for the Northern Hemisphere tour. Photo / Brett Phibbs

It was slipped in after the naming of the All Blacks touring squad, sounding almost, but not quite, an "oh, by the way ..." moment.

The three national selectors are swapping roles for the trip through Japan, Wales, Italy, England and France. Whether it continues next year probably depends on what happens in the Northern Hemisphere in the next few weeks.

Head coach Graham Henry is to take charge of the forwards, longtime backs boss Wayne Smith will oversee the defence, and forwards mentor Steve Hansen is instead to focus on the attack.

It was right that it came near the end of Sunday's announcement - the players should always come first - but it brings with it a hefty dose of intrigue.

Why rearrange the chairs now? There's two thoughts on this.

This trio have been in charge six years. In any environment hearing the same voice over and over again can have a distinctly repetitive, detrimental effect.

The sharpness of the message gets lost, or at least devalued, over time.

If that's the sole reason for the change, fine. Henry made the point on Sunday about the value for all of them to experience another role within the overall set-up.

His two wingmen sang from the same sheet on the positive benefits to be derived from the move.

But it's also worth wondering, would this move have been made if the All Blacks were playing outstanding, all-embracing, formidably good rugby?

Clearly some hard assessment has been done in the wake of a year which has so far produced four losses in nine tests.

Given the lineout woes at various times, watching Henry oversee that set piece will be illuminating.

Hansen copped plenty of flak over the season.

If it's still going pear-shaped by the final match against the Barbarians, where to from there?

And it's worth remembering that in those nine tests, the All Blacks have managed just 15 tries, three against their weakest opponents, Italy, and three against an uninterested Wallaby team in the Tri-Nations finale.

A group of senior players were consulted about the change of coaching roles.

Depending on which whisper you listen to, they either supported the move, or insisted on it.

This brings a whole different issue into play.

If it transpires the players thumped the table and demanded change, since when, in any sport, were players the ideal arbiters on who should be running the cutter?

Henry and Hansen both talked about the trio remaining tight in all respects, and the need to grow as a group.

The job descriptions won't devolve into three separate components, each with one master. The roles will overlap, to a point.

The work of the three wearing their new hats certainly adds juice to the final lap of the international season.