By DUNCAN JOHNSTONE in Sydney - RugbyHeaven | Wednesday, 23 July 2008
Don't believe everything you hear about rugby being in dire straits in Australia. But do believe anything you hear about Robbie Deans leading the resurgence.
It was only a few weeks ago when that ultra-optimist John O'Neill turned into a doom-merchant, suggesting rugby was in a two-way race with league for a single slice of the tough Aussie sporting market. And O'Neill openly feared rugby might lose out.
That was then and this is now. Rugby mightn't have a prolonged championship like the NRL to compete with the true national footy code, the AFL, or the blossoming national soccer league.
But Australian rugby does have the Wallabies, double world champions and a national icon that would certainly be the envy of both the NRL and the AFL.
And now Australia has Dingo Deans, a New Zealander doing his best to lift the Wallabies out of their unexpected rut.
He's doing a pretty good job of it too – on and off the field.
Four wins from four starts is as good as it gets and that includes last week's impressive win over the World Cup-holding Springboks.
Many predict that this weekend's Bledisloe Cup test will be the true acid test for both Deans and his Wallabies.
There's the acidic sideshow of Deans going up against Graham Henry of course. Deans is saying there's nothing personal and Henry is pretty much saying nothing.
But there's no lack of interest in this match. It will be a box-office boomer on TV sets on either side of the Tasman on Saturday night.
And it will be just as huge at ANZ Stadium, the massive structure that has previously been known as Homebush or Olympic Stadium.
The place mightn't be sold out on Saturday night but it won't be far off. The latest predictions are that about 79,000 people will turn up to watch Deans and Henry and Australia and New Zealand battle it out.
That's just shy of the 83,000 capacity but still represents an impressive live audience, one that New Zealand rugby could only dream of.
It's also a long way from the half-empty stadiums that greeted Australia's early season efforts against Ireland and France. Back then a desperate O'Neill ordered his workers to head to the shopping malls to give away test tickets.
There won't be many freebies in Sydney on Saturday night.
You can put that down to two things. The drawpower of the mighty All Blacks of course. And the growing drawpower and belief in Deans' Wallabies.
Not that the showdown hasn't been getting much help from the All Blacks on this side of the ditch.
Their late arrival in Sydney on Thursday evening seems very much a preconceived plan to stay out of Robbie's new backyard as long as possible.
Which has left Deans and his lads to happily showcase their stuff in the shop window of the game – literally.
The match has had a very solid buildup in Sydney.
The Australian Rugby Union has taken over Martin Place in the heart of the city's CBD with a festival feel.
The Wallabies team was announced live there on Wednesday by Deans after a steady stream of fans had waited patiently during an hour's autograph signing session by the coach and four players.
There have been daily activities there – bungy jumping, coaching drills, sausage sizzles, plenty of giveaways and wood-chopping contests.
A giant blowup Bledisloe has been dominating the scene and the real Bledisloe Cup has been released from the New Zealand Rugby Union's trophy cabinet to be on show as well.
Earlier on Wednesday Deans had been whisked away at 6.30am to do the rounds of the breakfast shows on the TV stations.
It might seem like a hard slog at times but it's all being done with a smile on the face of Deans and his players. Goodness, even O'Neill must be starting to smile again.
Whether the All Blacks can wipe away those smiles on Saturday night remains to be seen.
But Deans is in this for the long haul. Win, lose or draw in Sydney he has already made enough progress to suggest that those fears expressed by his boss not so long ago may be starting to evaporate.
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