Sean Fitzpatrick: Clever Henry thinking ahead of everyone else

We have to take our hats off to three people after the All Blacks wrapped up the series last night - Graham Henry, the Lions fans and the way New Zealanders opened their arms to them.

The match itself was almost incidental as a spectacle and the second half wasn't great. But it again showed the cleverness that Henry has brought to the All Black camp and how he and his fellow coaches have totally out-thought, out-coached and out-selected the Lions.

You saw one example of it in the play of Luke McAlister at first five-eighths. I have never seen McAlister play like that and it is obvious he has been given a whole new level of confidence by Henry. McAlister had obviously been told to try things - and he did.

That is symptomatic of what Henry has done for the All Blacks this year. Think back to this time last year and where the All Blacks were. Light years away.

Graham has told us he is going to broaden the All Black base and he has. He has talked all of us into believing that it is OK not to win every test match - all the time while winning every test match.

He fielded Rodney So'oailo at No 7 and McAlister when the rest of us would probably have played safe and gone with Marty Holah and Andrew Mehrtens.

But with every selection like that of McAlister and So'oailo, he is building up depth, experience and confidence. You can obviously see that being expressed in this All Black team.

They have an attitude I haven't seen for a long time - a total focus on playing rugby and not being distracted and a determination to win. They already look a mature team but one which takes pleasure in expressing itself.

With leaders like Tana Umaga and the coaching panel and guys like Brian Lochore, they have already developed a wonderful culture in this team.

The Lions would give their eye teeth to have that expression and I've no doubt that their fans - wonderful sportspeople that they are - will still be disappointed with their team in terms of the history of Lions tours and the pride in the jersey.

You also cannot help but compare the selections of the two sides. Henry, as I say, has been assured and broadened the All Black base and introduced new players successfully.

The Lions, on the other hand, well, three or four of them from last night were not even in the original side. The second test team had 11 changes and that must affect confidence - and so it proved.

Not all of the All Black selections last night worked 100 per cent but you wouldn't bet against Henry and the selection panel getting it right.

Sione Lauaki was given an opportunity last night and may not have taken it. They are obviously looking for a bigger No 8 and fine-tuning their loose trio and, again, building depth there. So we'll see more of their thinking yet. A lot of the focus of this tour has been on how bad the Lions were but I think the focus really needs to be on how good the All Blacks have been.

You can't blame the Lions for being surprised at how good the All Blacks were. A lot of us were.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY