KEY POINTS:
MONACO - Another day, another event in the life of All Blacks coach Graham Henry. Only thing is, this one is on the other side of the world, in the south of France.
Henry's extraordinary journey this week was confirmation of the growing strength of the All Blacks
brand in world sponsorship and marketing.
Henry and his New Zealand colleagues were flown to Nice and accommodated in the exclusive Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo to be present at the announcement of a new four-year sponsorship deal between New Zealand rugby and Ford Iveco.
The deal, believed to be worth millions of dollars, confirms the growing belief in world rugby that it is not just on the field but off it that the All Blacks are becoming increasingly hard to rival.
The money Ford is giving to the NZRU could have gone into the coffers of the Irish or English rugby unions.
Mind you, Henry was flat out during the 48 hours he spent in the millionaires' playground of Monaco.
He attended news briefings, a dinner on Monday evening and another on Tuesday night in Nice, a 45-minute drive from Monte Carlo. And the commitments never end.
Is all this worth it? "I certainly hope so," he smiles.
"It is a four-year global sponsorship, and that is very important for New Zealand rugby. It will be good for both brands, the All Blacks and Iveco. It will give us finance to continue to develop the game back home. So that is huge.
"There was a survey done recently that showed the All Blacks were in the top five sporting teams in the world.
"If you ask the average person in the street about New Zealand, most would say, 'That's where the All Blacks come from.' I believe that is a real feather in New Zealand rugby's cap, but then we work hard at making sure we play the game well.
"There's a very good feeling in New Zealand rugby right now, and it has been developing over some time. Everyone is working in harmony, which is great. I think that is reflecting in how we play the game."
If you think you understand pressure, think again. Not only does Henry, as All Blacks coach, have to travel the world as one of the faces of New Zealand rugby, but he also has to deliver the World Cup to his country this year.
No ifs or buts, no wonderful campaigns that came up just short, no beaten finalist achievement. Anything except the cup will be crass failure for the All Blacks.
How does Henry see the state of affairs eight months before the World Cup tournament in France?
"Of course, it's hugely important for us to get this year right and win the World Cup. It is something that the New Zealand public and New Zealand rugby have wanted for a long time.
"We are doing everything we can to try to do that. We have ticked all the boxes so far, we have prepared well. We have a maturing group of players who are playing well and it would be marvellous for them if we could do it.
"But I think the big thing is not to get too far ahead of ourselves. If we start thinking about the World Cup now we will fall over because we will get too far ahead of ourselves.
"The boys and the management cannot be thinking about the World Cup now. We couldn't concentrate on other things properly.
"Only once the Tri-Nations is finished near the end of July will we start switching on to the World Cup."
Of the other contenders, Henry is effusive in his praise for Ireland in particular. Does he buy the view, I asked him, that Ireland and Wales could come through this year, could carry the Northern Hemisphere's hopes at the World Cup?
"Yes, I do. The Six Nations is going to be very interesting. The Irish are obviously playing exceptionally well at the moment, and they have a lot of very good players.
"They look like the clear favourites to me for the competition.
"As for the Welsh, they have got all their players back from 2005. Then, they played a nice brand of rugby that the other teams couldn't handle and they will try to do the same thing again, but whether they can get the platform up front to do that will be the question."
What is the difference between Ireland today and the Irish teams Henry encountered during his time as coach of Wales?
"There is a lot more self-belief now. They have probably got the base right better than any other European country. They are looking after their players and they're not over-playing them.
"There is a lot of pride in their provincial performances as well and that gives them confidence going into international level because they are winning at provincial level. But there are also some very good players there, that is a key factor."
England? "They obviously have the numbers but whether they can pull it together in time, who knows? It is a big ask."
Peter Bills is a rugby writer for Independent News & Media in London
