Rugby World Cup winning coach Sir Graham Henry has confirmed he would love to continue his role as a mentor figure with the Argentina Rugby Team in this year’s Rugby Championship.
The World Cup winner raised several eyebrows last year when he decided leave his position as the coach of the New Zealand rugby team to take charge of the Argentine national team as a mentor figure to the team’s young coach Santiago Phelan. The move came barely a year after a he had won the title with the All Blacks on home soil.
And his decision not only came as a surprise, but it also made some of the Kiwi players extremely uncomfortable as he plotted to bring down many of the players he had brought into the ranks of the All Blacks who are currently headed by Steve Hansen, a long term assistant to Henry. Henry is now employed as a full time assistant to John Kirwan at The Blues, but he admitted that he would be returning to help the Argentina Rugby Team when the Super Rugby season ends.
Henry is an extremely talented coach and his talents have made him one of the most sought after figures both at home and abroad in a broad mentoring role. And speaking about his intentions to return to the camp of The Pumas, he stated that although nothing has been finalized yet, but added that is the intention he has right now.
Phelan, the 38 year old became the coach of the Argentina Rugby Team in 2008 and according to Sir Graham Henry, Phelan is extremely inexperienced in terms of coaching. And The Pumas will be hoping to use the experience of Henry in the expanded Tri Nations as the team tries to make its mark in the world stage.