KEY POINTS:
PARIS - Firing New Zealand coach Graham Henry and his assistants after their rugby World Cup quarterfinal loss to France would be akin to a kneejerk reaction said All Blacks great Zinzan Brooke today.
The 42-year-old, who was part of the All Blacks side that won the inaugural
World Cup in 1987, said that Henry was a great coach and should not be made a scapegoat for the defeat, which leaves the Kiwis with just the one victory in the competition.
"I don't think there should be any radical changes, we have put time and effort into this team," said the 58-times capped former No.8.
"I think it could be over-reactive if they change Henry, he's a great coach, and (you) don't become a bad coach overnight."
For Brooke, who retired from the international scene in 1997 but still turns out for an amateur club in England, the defeat was caused by 61-year-old Henry's decision to introduce a squad system and rotate the players, which the former Wales coach insisted was not disrespectful to the All Black jersey.
"A lot of people believed in the campaign and the players," said Brooke.
"The two squad system was a new thing where they tried to create a player pool base.
"Maybe back at the Tri-Nations they should have gone with 12 or 13 players. But instead it devalued the importance of the All Black jersey.
There wasn't the drive and hunger because of the rotating system. I felt the guys that played in this game weren't put to the sword.
"Also, they didn't have any big build-ups (in the pool stage). I don't think we were up with the other teams like England who had to work in the pool round.
"At the end of the day the All Blacks were quite poor in the last 24 or 25 minutes and in the 50th minute I said the All Blacks won't win."
The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) has indicated the failed campaign will be subject to an independent review with a coaching announcement for the 2008 season expected in December.
Henry plus his assistants Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith are contracted to the end of March.
Henry was not speculated on his coaching future since returning to Christchurch on Wednesday.
No All Black coach to head a failed World Cup bid has had their tenure extended - Alex Wyllie and John Hart were replaced by Laurie Mains after the semifinal exit in 1991; Hart succeeded Mains after the All Blacks were pipped in the 1995 final only to resign immediately after his side's semifinal loss to France in 1999.
John Mitchell reapplied for the head coaching position after the All Blacks were upset by the Wallabies, again in the semifinals in 2003, but was overlooked for Henry.
- AFP