The All Blacks have been left dismayed after Wallabies star Quade Cooper was let off for kneeing captain Richie McCaw in the head in the TriNations decider.

Cooper was cited after the match but the citing was dismissed as the judicial officer ruled on the "balance of probabilities" he knee had accidentally made contact with McCaw's head.

All Blacks coach Graham Henry however saw the incident differently and had no hesitation in slamming the decision.

"I thought he deliberately kneed Richie McCaw in the face and I think everybody else did too," Henry told ONE News.

"I'm very surprised at the result of the judicial hearing, let's put it that way, but let's not dwell on that there's much more important things to focus on and we need to move on and focus on the things that we can control."

The pair have something of a history with each other as Cooper shoved McCaw in the back of the head following the match-winning try in the Hong Kong Bledisloe Test last year.

"Nothing amazes me anymore to be perfectly honest,"said McCaw after ruling.

The All Blacks captain was diplomatic when discussing the incident and knows that he is likely to be targeted by opposition teams during the World Cup.

"Whether that's the case (I'm being targeted) or not you can't go on worrying about that, you go in getting stuck in and if things like that come your way you just accept that that's the way it is and you let other people deal with it," McCaw said.

"It's a tough one and I don't have the answer to be honest."

"I think we've got a thing in the team that you back each other up and you don't stand for that and I'm not saying that we just roll over, but we don't be stupid where it's going to endanger the team so it's getting that balance right.

"You saw Thorny's (Brad Thorn's) reaction to it, he wasn't going to stand for it so it's cool to know the boys have got your back."

McCaw added that it was not worth retaliating in situations like the one on Saturday

"That's not going to achieve much is it? Except for a holiday and you don't want that."