Henry has All Blacks contract extended

(GETTY IMAGES)

New Zealand captain Richie McCaw has backed the re-appointment of coaching trio Graham Henry, Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith and insists familiarity will not lead to complacency in the All Blacks squad.

Henry, Hansen and Smith have been coaching the All Blacks since 2004 and have had their contracts extended to the end of 2011, giving them another shot at World Cup glory.

McCaw, who has been an All Black since 2001 and skipper since 2006, is happy to see the return of the trio, who were controversially re-appointed on two-year terms after the failed 2007 World Cup campaign.

"It's great. It gives certainty to what you do now," he said. "We know we've got two-and-a-half years to keep on building on what we're doing.

"It's nice to know we've got the same crew that are going to lead that.

"The challenge the coaches and senior players face is to make sure we keep looking for that edge and don't just think we've got it sorted."

The 28-year-old loose forward added: "A lot of us have been in this team for a long time now and you can't afford to get (complacent). If you start standing still everyone is going to move past you.

"The couple of experiences we had last year in the Tri-Nations (losses to Australia and South Africa) and the recent French Test just reminds you if you're not quite on the money you're going to come second."

New Zealand Rugby Union chairman Jock Hobbs said a desire to retain all three coaches had prompted the union to act before their current contracts expired at the end of this year.

Since they took over in 2004, the All Blacks have won 57 of their 66 Tests, defended the Bledisloe Cup five successive seasons, won the Tri-Nations four times, beaten the British and Irish Lions in 2005 and completed two grand slam tours of Britain and Ireland in 2005 and 2008.

"We think all three individually are very strong but as a coaching unit they are even stronger," Hobbs said. "Holding all three was important.

"It's a reflection that as a group we believe they are greater than the parts. We didn't want to run the risk of losing one of them through the course of the year which is always a possibility."

Hobbs also revealed the NZRU Board decided in April they wanted to re-appoint Henry, Hansen and Smith and that the deals were concluded prior the first Test against France in Dunedin - which the All Blacks lost.

"We thought about announcing it (before that game) but thought it was too close to that Test match so we decided to do it after the June internationals and in a non-Test week."

Henry was asked at the post-match press conference at Carisbrook about an announcement regarding his re-appointment and replied: "It's news to me but it (re-appointment) sounds good."

NZRU chief executive Steve Tew was also cagey on the issue during a media briefing before the second French Test a few days later.

Today Henry, who admitted he did not think he would be given the job again after the last World Cup, was far more effusive.

"It is a real privilege to be asked to do this job and coach this team," he said.

"I've been doing it for a little while now and I've never thought of anything else but it being a huge privilege to be able to do this job. I greatly appreciate the support of Jock and the Board and the Rugby Union to enable us to continue to do this job."