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Henry called for probe into 2007 RWC match

NZ Newswire July 29, 2012, 9:17 pm

Former All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry has revealed he called for an investigation into referee Wayne Barnes' performance during the 2007 Rugby World Cup quarter-final.

Henry made the claim during an interview on TVNZ's current affairs show on Sunday, saying it made him physically ill to watch the match against France which the All Blacks lost 20-18.

"We were expected to win," he said.

"You feel empty because there is nothing you can do."

In trying to understand how his team had lost, Henry watched a replay of the game over and over again.

At least 40 infringements committed by the French were overlooked during the match, he said.

"The All Blacks didn't get a penalty for the last 60 minutes of the game and attacked over 70 per cent of that time."

"That's (normally) impossible but it wasn't impossible on that particular day."

Henry says he asked the New Zealand Rugby Union if they could get the International Rugby Board (IRB) to take a closer look at the game.

He also wanted to know whether there were any laws or systems in place in which authorities looked into "bizarre" matches.

Henry told the rugby union it should pressure the IRB to institute an inquiry, according to his soon-to-be-released biography, Graham Henry: Final Word, written by Bob Howitt.

Henry says he was told to shut up or he would never coach the All Blacks again.

France went on to lose to England in the semi-finals and South Africa won the tournament.

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Sean Jeffery07:47pm Monday 30th July 2012 ESTReport Abuse
Peter, Graham Henry is way cooler and way more successful than you
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JUMBO03:25pm Monday 30th July 2012 ESTReport Abuse
Read some overseas newspapers. Henry is doing NZ, ABs and himself a lot of harm.
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Peter11:28am Monday 30th July 2012 ESTReport Abuse
Welcome to the age of proffessional sport dorks have you ever put your own nuts in a rat trap controlled by others and stood up for the right to be judged by your peers ???!!! Or are you the short sighted pud pulling people who fight on the side lines or swear at the tv i think you all belong in the second category sir!!! Says it all jerkoffs
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Peter11:18am Monday 30th July 2012 ESTReport Abuse
AS AN EX COACH MYSELF I had to deal not just with refs whose loyalties were compromised by their own beliefs or that they had by partisan association but blatant racism by not only the refs but the use of racist slurs etc used by players to try and effect an advantage when it was obvious they were loosing the game THE TEAM WAS IN NTH HARBOUR AND I WAS THE ONLY PALANGI THE REST OF MY OUTFIT WAS SAMOAN. I DEALT TO THE PROBLEM EVENTUALLY WINNING THE GRADE CHAMPS TWICE WITH ONE SECOND PLACE AND THE PLATE in consecutive years read the list backwards [[ I made a lot of friends and probably more enemies who attacked from behind and not on the paddock]] these people are gutless wonders all who lack true integrity and the courage to abide by the written laws of our great game But refs are refs and rate the same as a bent cop in my book
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Kengis11:05am Monday 30th July 2012 ESTReport Abuse
I remember seeing a list of boring countries (people)and NZ was well up the list. #$%$ like Henry and all the other small brained ,one eyed supporters like him confirm this.
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