KEY POINTS:
Graham Henry's reappointment along with his team to the country's top rugby coaching jobs confirms a few things about New Zealand rugby and its internal politics. But it also leaves many questions unanswered.
I suspect the longer the process took the better the chances Henry had of retaining
his position. The hysteria in the immediate post-Cardiff period had dissipated. The conditioning process of the public and indeed the New Zealand Rugby Union board had time to sink in.
The fact Henry beat the odds, which were long straight after the event, shows what a master coach and politician he has become.
He has a sound history of doing the right thing by the right people, has always sought out great mentors, and has always had an eye on his back just in case.
All through his coaching career, Henry has built strong personal relationships with the people who matter.
Henry builds trust in people. He is considered a safe pair of hands, and this may have been a deciding factor in his reappointment.
Certainly Robbie Deans, for all his coaching ability and new-found warmth and easy manner with the media, is still learning these skills. I wonder if he will ever match Henry's class in this area.
Another factor may have been the NZRU's feeling of culpability for the loss to France in October.
It was they who gave in to Henry's requests for rest, recreation and recuperation and who allowed his rotation policies to go on unhindered.
Frankly, I don't buy this as a reason for making their decision, but human nature does strange things.
Given Henry's reselection, I hope the forthcoming World Cup review is not watered down. There is still great value in an honest evaluation of what happened before and during the cup. Certainly nobody would ever want to see a repeat of the damage done to our game all in the name of cup glory.
What will Deans do? Probably assess the process he has just been through and hopefully take time, like the NZRU and Henry have done, to get the best outcome for his medium term future.
Could a deal have been done with the NZRU promising him the job after 2009 in return for staying put in New Zealand rugby? Unlikely, but if I was chairman Jock Hobbs and his board, that's what I would have done. These guys are pretty good at backroom deals - remember the winning of the 2011 cup hosting rights.
Is Deans patient enough to wait? I think so, provided he is given some clear indication of where he stands.
It appears the NZRU have attempted to move the selection cycle away from the four-yearly World Cup-to-World Cup block. This may be enough to encourage Deans to reject the very persuasive Australian boss John O'Neill and his cheque book. And we should hope so, for the sake of New Zealand rugby.
Will Henry change the rest and recreation policy? Has he any choice? The public has voted with their feet and TV remotes and will not tolerate further pathetic national championships and Super 14 competitions. Test match football should probably be renamed trial match rugby for the way it has been degraded.
Will Henry be successful and regain the winning edge? Of course. I think the All Blacks in 2008-09 will be comprehensively successful and as dominant as they have for the last few years - minus the World Cups.
But 2010-11 are the worry. What if Deans joins Warren Gatland and heads overseas? What if heir apparent Steve Hansen doesn't cut it? I just hope the NZRU has persuaded Deans to stay.
