Inga Tuigamala: Let Henry keep his crown

Opinion

It will be no surprise to anyone that Graham Henry wants to take the All Blacks through to the next World Cup.

And the New Zealand Rugby Union's response should be simple - reappoint the man now and let him get on with the job.

Henry's current term ends this season but I don't believe there is anything to gain in waiting until the end of this year to decide who should coach the All Blacks at the 2011 tournament.

Graham is a terrific coach and strategist and has good results on the board since the disappointment of the 2007 World Cup campaign. He is a passionate coach who, while naturally wanting the best for himself, always has this country's best rugby interests at heart.

And let's face it. There aren't any serious challengers to Henry's position, and certainly not from outside the current All Black management team. It would be suicide to chop and change the coaching appointments at this point.

Confirming Henry's position now would give him the peace of mind to go ahead with stable short and long-term planning, without the need to worry about any quick-fix solutions in order to strengthen his bid for reappointment.

On the subject of Henry, I am in full agreement with his claim this week that the standard of refereeing is a major problem in rugby, and that the quality of the Super 14 games this season is far too dependant on who the whistler is.

Some refereeing has been quite appalling. Just as we expect coaches and players to be accountable, Henry was right to call on the referees to accept greater accountability.

I also believe he was right in saying that some referees are hiding behind the laws to explain poor performances. We can't let them keep using that as an excuse.

It is close to crunch time in the Super 14 and the champion Crusaders have again been hit by the loss of Richie McCaw for their vital clash against the Lions in South Africa Sunday morning.

Many players are having to perform injured these days and it's certainly no shock to find McCaw sidelined again. McCaw plays in an especially tough position, and continually puts his body on the line.

It has reached a point where we have to accept that the great McCaw will not always be fit enough for test duty. Rodney So'oialo is our best cover at No 7.

He doesn't have McCaw's sensational ability of course, but he is physically very intimidating. You need someone as tough and uncompromising as So'oialo in the position and, while he may not quite have the necessary pace, he is the best available.

The Blues face a make-or-break match against the Hurricanes tonight and while my heart says they can win, the head says the job might be beyond them in Wellington.

They have a lot of injuries, although problems in the loose forwards have been offset by the return of Jerome Kaino.

It has been interesting to note the Hurricanes' coach Colin Cooper's comments about Piri Weepu, who is stuck on the bench behind Alby Mathewson and Willie Ripia.

Cooper says there are no problems in the camp, but I'm sure that Weepu would be very disappointed at not starting. As an incumbent All Black, I think he deserves greater consideration. He will be champing at the bit to prove the coach wrong.