KEY POINTS:
An admission that some players need to play more rugby might have paved the way for Graham Henry to re-apply for his All Black coaching job.
Prior to his review, Henry had been resolute in his own mind that he would not stand again if the post was made contestable.
But it is understood that friends and confidantes have broken down some of his resistance. There is also growing optimism in the Henry camp that the New Zealand Rugby Union board could be won over if he shows a continued willingness to accept that future rest and rotation policies have to be more tailored towards the specific needs of individuals.
While Henry highlighted the flawed quarter-final performance of English referee Wayne Barnes during his post-World Cup review - with the aid of a Keith Lawrence report that highlighted numerous errors against the All Blacks - he is also understood to have admitted that some individuals in the squad would have been better served playing more games.
There would be no expectation from the board that Henry should re-think his beliefs on the importance of player welfare and building depth. These are issues in which the board is well-versed and with a potential 16-tests looming in 2008, no one disagrees there needs to be careful management of player workload.
Where the debate remains unsettled is on the best strategy of workload management. It became apparent this year that some members of the All Black squad were eager to play more than they were allowed.
Players such as Jerry Collins, Richie McCaw and Rodney So'oialo have few problems producing quality work week after week, while Daniel Carter, too, was vocal in his desire to play more regularly.
"Some players would be happy playing every week and we could probably all guess who they are," said NZRU deputy chief executive Steve Tew. "But I don't want to pre-judge the World Cup review."
Should Henry re-apply, he could win strong support from the board if he can persuade them of his desire to be more flexible on the issue of individual workloads.
He could also win back some goodwill from the provinces by outlining earlier a clear policy on player release around next year's national championship.
By a quirk of the schedule, the All Blacks have a month off during next year's Tri Nations although the NZRU are trying to fix an additional test in that window. But that gap does present an opportunity for All Blacks to be returned to their provinces at a crucial juncture in the competition.
North Harbour chief executive Brett Hollister, said: "We always love having our All Blacks in action for us. The big issue is clarity, knowing when they might be available."
The deadline for All Black applications is tomorrow. Henry is said to feel that his last four years on the job should serve as his application. If a win ratio of 88 per cent did not convince the board to re-appoint him, why would they change their mind at the end of an hour-long interview.
On the other hand, all the board might need to see is evidence that Henry and co are willing to adapt the execution rather than the core values of their coaching strategies.
Should Henry decide not to pit himself against Robbie Deans, a raft of alternative coaching offers will come his way.
And in a potential ironic twist, should Deans be successful, it is possible that All Black assistants Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith will replace him at the Crusaders.
