Wrap from Down Under

â–º’Headmaster must go’ || â–ºHighlanders bailed out
â–ºAli Williams out for season || â–ºARU terminates Tuquiri

The calls for Graham Henry to step down as All Blacks coach have started, with former All Blacks mentor, Laurie Mains saying six years is too long to coach the New Zealand national team.

SOURCE: Rugby365 

Mains says it is hard to judge from the outside, but he is having trouble trying to pick up the pattern the All Blacks are trying to play.

Mains highlighted the examples of the Blues, Wales, the British and Irish Lions and now the All Blacks where Henry has been involved.

While he respects what Henry has done in his time, he believes the coach’s contract should be severed this year.

“To be fair to Graham he’s had some great successes as a coach, but every team he’s coached, towards the end of his time with them, they’ve dropped away,” Mains told Newstalk ZB.

“That sort of says to me that the pattern’s too complicated for the players to accurately implement. If that is the case, that will impact the skill part of their game, I think, as they start to force things.”

He says Chiefs coach Ian Foster, Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper and even Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder could be considered as alternatives.

“I was really impressed with the way the Chiefs put their games together this year. They played aggressive and sensible rugby.

“I was terribly impressed with the way the Crusaders – and they were a young team – came away very strong towards the end.”

HIGHLANDERS BAILED OUT

The New Zealand Rugby Union will be heavily involved with the Highlanders for the next two years, after the franchise suffered financial difficulties in 2008-2009 and has a projected financial shortfall for 2009-2010

The NZRU will underwrite the financial performance of the Highlanders for the next two years while a number of changes to the governance and operation of the franchise have also been agreed.

The Highlanders’ Board will  be restructured to include three independent directors appointed by the NZRU, one independent director appointed by the Dunedin City Council and three and three directors to be appointed by the Provincial Unions within the Highlanders region.

ALI WILLIAMS OUT FOR SEASON

Experienced lock Ali Williams will miss the rest of the All Blacks season as he undergoes surgery for an injured Achilles tendon.

The 28-year-old will be out for up to four months, meaning he will miss the entire Tri-Nations series and will have had no game time under his belt by the time the All Blacks begin their end-of-season tour to Europe in November.

ARU TERMINATES TUQUIRI

The Australian Rugby Union has terminated the employment contract of banished Wallabies wing Lote Tuqiri with immediate effect, which has raised questions about his international future at the age of 29.

In a brief statement, the ARU stated that the issue is being treated as a “standard employment matter” and they will not make any further comment as it may be the subject of legal proceedings.

However, Sydney’s Daily Telegraph said the high-earning Tuqiri, who scored 30 tries in 67 Tests, had been axed after an investigation into an “off-field incident.”

[No particulars on the nature of his demeanors.]