Graham Henry still hasn't resigned from the All Blacks coaching position and that both surprises and disappoints me.

Given the failure of his major mission, which was to win the World Cup, he really should have fallen on his sword by now.

All Blacks coaches in the past have always acted with integrity in situations like this and one would expect Graham would do the same.

I find it rather disappointing given the complete failure of the rotation policy and the conditioning program that Graham publicly endorsed.

He also said he was satisfied with what he has achieved as All Blacks coach and he wouldn't change a thing.

But those policies were failures and so was he. And his continued involvement would suggest similar results not something any of us would like to live through again.

Add to that the unmistakable fact that the team peaked in 2005, was still a very good team but not quite as convincing in 2006 and failed to fire in 2007.

The intense psychological pressure Graham puts on his players to perform is not a coaching method that can last over a lengthy period. Perhaps that method was as much to blame as his policies.

What is crystal clear is that the All Blacks performances were heading in the wrong direction for the past two years of Graham Henry's tenure.

Therefore, it does not make sense to even contemplate giving him another one, two, three or four more years as the All Blacks coach.

Indeed, Graham is doing rugby a disservice by not resigning.

By not stepping down he is creating divisions of thought around the staunch New Zealand rugby public.

Having been through the Mains/John Hart debate, I would suggest it is in the best interests of the All Blacks and New Zealand rugby that Graham Henry does the right thing sooner rather than later.

If he had one ounce of respect for the All Blacks jersey and All Blacks rugby he would do the decent thing and quit.

His obvious successor as All Blacks coach is Robbie Deans.

He has undeniably proved himself as the best rugby coach in New Zealand.

I appreciate that statement is one that is easy to make but let's look at some of the things that put Robbie above the rest.

The All Blacks, since 2002, have imitated the Crusaders style.

The Crusaders have led the way and the All Blacks have used innovations developed by the Crusaders for the last six years.

So he's been the leader in the development of the New Zealand game.

Another important fact is that unlike the All Blacks in recent years, the Crusaders keep getting better every single year.

Even without eight players in the conditioning programme this year they were still a very effective Super 14 team.

As a result, no one else in the competition can even get close to the record Robbie has fashioned as the coach of the Crusaders.

An extremely important strength that can't be underestimated is his ability to identify players at a very young age that are first-class material and bring them through to not just be top Super rugby players but top All Blacks.

The obvious ones are Richie McCaw and Dan Carter.

Others include Leon MacDonald, Aaron Mauger, Chris Jack and Greg Somerville.

All of them rose to the international ranks after Robbie took charge of the Crusaders in 2000.

And this lot Ben Blair, Sam Broomhall, Andy Ellis, Greg Feek, Corey Flynn, Scott Hamilton, Dave Hewett, Campbell Johnstone, Casey Laulala, Nathan Mauger, Caleb Ralph, Mark Robinson, Scott Robertson, Brad Thorn and Mose Tuiali'i have also been elevated to All Blacks status under Robbie's tenure.

No coach has brought more players through to the top level than Robbie.

And no doubt the likes of Steven Brett, Kieran Read and Wyatt Crockett All Blacks of the future will be added to that list in time.

I have run into Robbie often since I returned to New Zealand to coach the Highlanders in 2002 and the thing that is very impressive is his absolute understanding and love of the game.

He is driven by a desire to do the best thing for rugby.

In my discussions with him the intensity he has and the ability to express his views has always impressed me.

And that intensity is exactly what you need in teams I am never surprised when the Crusaders front up in the big games with this incredible intensity. It is a reflection on the way they are coached.

The onus is now on the NZRU board to ensure Robbie Deans is the next All Blacks coach.

Robbie is ready to take on an international challenge. At 48 he is at the right age and has the right coaching experience to do that.

The fear is that, if the NZRU pass on him, he will leave New Zealand.

If that happens it would be fairly and squarely on the head of the board that he could be coaching the Wallabies or some other major international team that would compete against the All Blacks.

That would be an opposition that New Zealand rugby could very seriously do without.

Robbie's ability to keep individual players and teams at their best over many years is exactly what All Blacks rugby needs right now to take them through to a win at the 2011 World Cup.

Sunday News