'Strong opinions': Dave Rennie appoints Sir Graham Henry as All Blacks selector

Henry will return to the fold after coaching the All Blacks from 2004 to 2011, leading the team to the Rugby World Cup glory over France in Auckland.

Speaking to media in Auckland on Tuesday, the new All Blacks head coach explained that the conversations with Henry have been promising.

“I’ve had a number of chats with him even prior to applying for the job and just to get our head around the legacy and all the work he did around leadership, what he found, what he learned in his time as the All Black coach,” Rennie said.

“He talked about the impact that Sir Brian Lochore had when he was coaching the All Blacks as a selector.

Rennie, who’s in Auckland as his Kobelco Kobe Steelers side have two weeks off, said Henry is well-aware of the current form of players in New Zealand.

“He watches a lot of rugby, he’s got pretty strong opinions on players and so on. The conversations we’ve had have been brilliant.”

The former All Blacks head coach was involved with Argentina as an assistant since leaving New Zealand Rugby, while also having experience with Wales, the British and Irish Lions, and Leinster.

Rennie told media in Auckland that having Henry as a selector will help Rennie and his coaching staff have challenging conversations around selections.

“He’s an avid watcher of the game and that’s important for us.

“We’re hoping that with his eye, he may see something a little bit different to us, which will help get the right people in the squad.”