Henry gets All Blacks job

The former Wales and British Lions coach was preferred to John Mitchell, who failed to persuade his bosses he should remain in the job.

Brooke believes Mitchell "paid the price for his attitude" but insists:

"Henry has been around a long time and in terms of the full package, he definitely has all the credentials."

Brooke was among those who backed Mitchell to continue in his post after New Zealand's World Cup semi-final defeat to Australia.

Henry understands the mindset of the northern hemisphere Zinzan Brooke

But he believes the coach's frosty relationship with the media and sponsors cost him his job rather than his coaching record.

"On the basis of what he did coaching-wise I think 'Mitch' did a good job," Brooke told the BBC Sport website.

"I think it is more the peripheral stuff that has come up and bit him on the backside.

"You have to get the balance right. John Hart was too over the top but you didn''t really know Mitchell was the coach of the All Blacks with his anonymous comments.

"He was a bit of a ghost when it came to sponsors and contact with the media.

"From a full package point of view - working with players, his knowledge of game, dealing with sponsors and the media - Graham fits the bill and I think he will turn things around."

Hart, coach when the All Blacks were defeated by France in the 1999 World Cup semi-final, was disliked by some sections of the New Zealand public for his Auckland connections.

Mitchell won 11 of 13 Tests this year

But Brooke called on the public to get behind Henry's appointment.

"I hope people south of the Bombay Hills (an area near Auckland) are a bit more accepting because the country needs to unite together," he said.

"Some people might think ,'Oh no, another Aucklander' but that sort of provincialism can't come into the national side and I hope it doesn't rear its head again.

"Graham Henry has been around for a long time and he has all the credentials.

"He knows what it takes to win and has experienced what dealing with the public expectation is like from the Welsh people.

"He copped the rough end of the stick there towards the end but he understands the mindset of the northern hemisphere.

"With the next World Cup in France he will know how we have got to prepare mentally and that is a good thing."