Henry said he did not care if he was criticised about the move to rest players, or if it was labelled "rotation", but the simple fact was some players needed space.
"A few people are commenting about needing to play the best team every week but I think when you are in the environment, you just know, and you can see it in their eyes and see it in their body language that if we do not give them some space, they are just going to die," Henry said.
"And they'll be dead men trying to play rugby. You are just going to get a horrible result."
That time off started yesterday with Andy Ellis, Owen Franks, Keven Mealamu, Sonny Bill Williams, Kieran Read and Brad Thorn all released from the squad for a few days away.
They will rejoin the squad on Sunday in Wellington.
Henry said the management team met players last week in Auckland and made some decisions over individuals and the best way to manage them.
"We have made a lot of decisions about individuals and how they are going to be in the next few weeks. And some guys are going to be in a wee bit of space now, so that is good.
They will come down and then come up again. Others will get that space later on.
"It is just a matter of making good decisions around those individuals.
"They have been on an emotional high, particularly these Crusaders guys. They have been around the world three times, they have never played at home.
"Unless we give them some space to come down from the high and recover from that, both emotionally and mentally, they are not going to do the job for us."
Henry said hooker Mealamu, prop John Afoa and loose forward Jerome Kaino - all Blues players - also came into the equation of those players needing space.
The taxing nature of the expanded Super 15, especially in a World Cup year, made it doubly important to manage players.
But is that the return of the dreaded rotation system?"I don't give a horse's arse what you call it. You can dress it up and criticise us if you like but the real thing is, these guys need space."
He agreed catering for players who had played a season with no home ground was uncharted territory.
So with players on leave and others needing more rest than play, Henry admitted the onus on the remaining players was to play some "decent footy and get our structures right".
"We have made quite a few changes to how we play, and we got to put that on the field and this is a good opportunity. We want to get out and play well and do that."
Henry said first five-eighth Colin Slade had the feel for the game but needed to play with a bit more sharpness.
"He's been trying to get some football under his belt. But we need him to navigate the team round the field ... he can call the shots and so is quite composed working with him, but as an individual, he needs to step up."
All Blacks team
v Fiji in Dunedin, tomorrow
Mils Muliaina, Zac Guildford, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Colin Slade, Jimmy Cowan, Liam Messam, Richie McCaw (captain), Adam Thomson, Ali Williams, Jarrad Hoeata, Ben Franks, Andrew Hore, Wyatt Crockett.
Reserves: Corey Flynn, John Afoa, Sam Whitelock, Jerome Kaino, Piri Weepu, Dan Carter, Ben Smith.
