KEY POINTS:
Most rugby fans think Graham Henry should be retained as coach despite the All Blacks making an early exit from the World Cup, according to a survey conducted by UMR Research.
New Zealand posted their worst World Cup result when losing in the quarterfinals to France this month, leaving Henry's position tenuous at best as the New Zealand Rugby Union reviews the failed campaign.
Previous coaches John Hart, in 1999, and John Mitchell, in 2003, did not stay in the post after New Zealand's semifinals exits at World Cup tournaments.
UMR Research conducted the telephone survey of 750 New Zealanders aged 18 and over between last Thursday and yesterday.
It said 61 per cent considered Henry deserved to be reappointed, with 33 per cent saying it was time to give someone else a ago.
Crusaders coach Robbie Deans was seen as the man most likely to be appointed should Henry lose the job, with 30 per cent identifying Deans as their preference.
However, a majority of 56 per cent said they were unsure who should replace Henry, while his assistants since 2004, Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith, gained the support of just 3 and 2 per cent, respectively, of those surveyed.
In a head-to-head selection between Deans and Hansen, Deans won the support of 47 per cent and Hansen 18 per cent, with 35 per cent unsure.
New Zealand's 18-20 loss to France in Cardiff was put down as one bad game by what otherwise was a champion team by 63 per cent compared to 27 per cent who said it was a result of deep-seated weakness in the team.
UMR Research said when asked a similar question after New Zealand's demise at the semifinals stage of the 2003 World Cup, 38 per cent blamed it on a deep-seated weakness in the team.
Responses to the survey came from 533 of the 750 people approached who said they were "very interested" or "fairly interested" in rugby. The survey had a margin for error of 4.2 per cent.
- NZPA
