-
All Blacks coach Graham Henry - Source: Getty Images -
Related
Sir Graham Henry has handed some advice to England's caretaker coach Stuart Lancaster, warning him against the iron-fisted approach he has taken on team discipline in the leadup to this weekend's Six Nations.
Sir Graham has been very vocal about the England scene, using his website to target the large northern hemipshere audience.
Lancaster is clearly in a zero-tolerance mood as he takes the reins from the axed Martin Johnson whose time in charge was marked by several ugly off-field episodes.
Lancaster has cast aside stars Danny Care and Delon Armitage for recent indiscretions in the public arena.
The troubled Care was dropped following his arrest for drink driving on New Year's Day and Armitage has been cast adrift following his arrest for alleged assault in a Torquay nightclub last weekend.
Sir Graham, who took a while to give up his school headmaster ways as he began his professional career and became known as a "cuddly coach" believes a softly-softly approach is the way to go with the current crop of players.
"If the three [England] coaches try to stamp their authority on the squad, as it seems they have with the axing of Danny Care and Delon Armitage, then they will fail," said Sir Graham on his website.
"Kids don't listen if you tell them what to do, you have to bring them with you, include them in the process.
"Our strategy would have been to assemble Team Care. Call it a duty of 'Care' if you like. We would have given him all the support that we could make available. The approach would have been the same with Armitage.
"Unfortunately England's new management seem to have drawn an immediate line. They have adopted a zero tolerance attitude.
"It just doesn't work with today's generation. Look how many chances Sir Alex Ferguson gives his young players and he rarely disciplines them too publicly."
Sir Graham had a good track record with All Blacks during his eight years in charge of New Zealand's national team.
He held his nerve last year when a couple of incidents threatened to derail the All Blacks' World Cup campaign that eventually saw New Zealand end their 24-year drought.
Zac Guildford was forgiven for a drinking episode on the eve of the tournament and fellow backs Cory Jane and Israel Dagg were dealt with "in-house" after a big night out during the week leading up to the quarterfinal with Argentina.
"I understand Lancaster's need for discipline, and he knows the kids, but I just hope he hasn't been too authoritarian, too soon. If there is too much big stick, then today's kids will eventually rebel against you.
"Lancaster says: 'The message will get through.' I am not sure that it will in this day and age. It all looks a bit too like naming and shaming for my liking."
