KEY POINTS:
When Graham Henry clocks off after this tour his test coaching tally will stand at a world record 102 internationals in charge of the All Blacks, Wales and Lions. That is some mileage since he started on the global circuit a decade ago, easing past the previous record
holder, Bernard Laporte.
Henry will undertake various fishing and holiday jaunts over summer in New Zealand and overseas, he will go to Istanbul to pick up his international FairPlay Award and he will reintroduce himself to his family.
He will also re-evaluate his All Black future. The former headmaster is 62 and these tours are an endurance test for everyone's stamina, patience and mental health. Right now, Henry is pretty weary. He does not do sleep well anyway and on tours he has even less shut-eye as his mind runs through every detail on the trip.
Sometime over the summer as he recharges his soul and casts another lazy line from his boat, Henry may come up with an answer about his future. Or it may not emerge until he is back in business next season.
If he decides to stay the distance and the New Zealand Rugby Union concurs, Henry has to go through to the World Cup.
If he calls it quits, the NZRU, Henry and his successor will have to work out what would then be the best arrangement for the next end-of-year tour to the States and Europe.
In the meantime, for all sorts of family reasons, assistant Wayne Smith is toying with his departure card while Steve Hansen may also be getting a little fidgety about taking over from Henry as he did at Wales in 2002 and was supposed to repeat with the All Blacks until they fell at the last World Cup.
If the All Blacks remain at the world forefront next year, Henry is the only person who knows whether he should continue.
He can point to someone like Sir Alex Ferguson to justify coaching longevity at the highest levels of sport while others will say other top international rugby coaches are all much younger.
Each year it gets tougher, there are increasing demands on coaches' time, travel, energy and dedication while the more a team succeeds, as the All Blacks have done again this year, the greater the temptation to stay and ride the momentum.
Success is a strong drug and when mixed with the best rugby team in the world is an even more powerful concoction. No senior international rugby coach has eased himself voluntarily out of the big chair in sight of a World Cup.
Henry and rugby will never part. Only when he has been gone for a few years will he realise how consuming his work has been, what toll it has taken on him and those around him. Only then will he know whether the toll was transferred to the team.
If the downsides remain small next year, Henry should tick the 2011 box. Then watch for the fallout.
