Henry racked up a century of Tests in charge of the All Blacks earlier this month © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

News: All Blacks meet royalty in London

News: Carter on brink of historic second Grand Slam

News: Henry issues warning over foreign influx

News: Henry making most of second chance

Players/Officials: Sir Graham Henry

Teams: New Zealand

International Rugby Board coach of the year Graham Henry reached a less-publicised but significant milestone on the All Blacks' season-ending tour.

He has become test rugby's first coaching century-maker. Henry moved past the 98 tests of French rival Bernard Laporte when the All Blacks beat Scotland in Edinburgh to kick-start their Grand Slam attempt. He raised three figures against Ireland a week later.

An avowed cricket-lover, Henry told NZPA he was aware of raising his century in Dublin but did nothing special to mark the occasion. The figure will climb to 102 when they play England in London on Saturday, capping a week in which he won the IRB accolade for a record third time.

The only person to have coached three different international teams, Henry's well-travelled CV reads 36 tests for Wales from 1999-2002, a three-test tilt with the 2001 British and Irish Lions in Australia in 2001 and an All Blacks test tenure starting in 2004 that will climb to 63 at Twickenham. If Henry remains coach until the 2011 World Cup he will also move past the most caps recorded by a player -- the 139 of retired Australian halfback George Gregan.

Even if he doesn't, Henry's mark is one that should be untouched by any coach for many years. His nearest rivals are European-based and most have recently ended their involvement with the test scene.

Laporte joined the French government after last year's World Cup, Ian McGeechan (92) will lead the Lions in South Africa next year but seems unlikely to have a third tenure with Scotland while England's Sir Clive Woodward (86) and Ireland's Eddie O'Sullivan (78) have sought greener pastures. Of the active test coaches, the next most experienced are Wales' New Zealand coach Warren Gatland on 49 (39 for Ireland) and Italy's South African mentor Nick Mallett on 48 (38 for the Springboks).

Henry's 71 wins is also a test record, having cruised past the 62 of Laporte in July, while his 71 percent winning ratio easily eclipses the other coaches to have gone past 50 tests. Henry also leads on all counts against the next most prolific All Blacks coaches.

His 62 tests and 54 wins is well clear of John Hart's 47 and 36 respectively. The Henry winning ratio of 87 percent is also superior to Hart, Laurie Mains, Alex Wylie or John Mitchell, with that top five having combined to oversee 200 of New Zealand's 443 tests.