Graham Henry believes Dave Rennie has inherited the toughest assignment in All Blacks history.
And much of that challenge will come from a Springbok side that has dominated rugby’s biggest stage.
Henry, who guided New Zealand to the 2011 World Cup title, has returned as a selector under new coach Dave Rennie.
And the 79-year-old believes Rennie faces the toughest task any All Blacks coach has encountered.
“It’s probably the biggest contest the All Blacks have ever had. That’s stimulating and gets the blood boiling a wee bit,” Henry said.
“You get on your toes, and I’m sure the players are feeling it. They’ve got a massive challenge ahead, and those challenges bring the best out of people.”
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The All Blacks will begin their season with home Tests against France, Italy and Ireland, but their defining challenge will be a four-Test series against the world champions – three of which will be played in South Africa.
New Zealand have lost five of their last six Tests against the Springboks, including a record 43-10 defeat in Wellington last year.
Henry said the scrutiny surrounding the All Blacks comes with the territory.
“There’s a lot of noise around this, as you’d appreciate. That’s OK, that’s part of the deal. You’ve just got to focus on doing the job well.”
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Henry added that he and Rennie are already assessing a long list of potential selections, but that overall, he’s just happy to be involved.
“It’s in the blood, it’s in the DNA, so that’s good. I’m looking forward to this little challenge.”
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