Wallabies target Carter's link men

Friday, 25 July 2008 - NZPA

The Wallabies have snared the rugby coach who knows Dan Carter best, but still admit they have given up trying to spot a chink in the star All Black's armour.

Carter, who plays his 50th test in tomorrow's Bledisloe Cup opener here at ANZ Stadium, looms as the most watched figure in black.

More so with the injury-enforced absence of inspirational captain Richie McCaw, Carter's cool head and ability will be looked at to get the All Blacks home in what promises to be another knife-edge Bledisloe encounter.

His opposite number Matt Giteau, who has made the gold No 10 jersey his own this year, said Carter was the "world's best" who every first five-eighth marked themselves against.

"He's a big part of it. If you can get to any flyhalf and disrupt him, that makes a big difference to how the team operates," Giteau said.

"His composure, he seems very composed when he's out there playing. He's got all the skills, he's got a great kicking game and can pass really well.

"If he needs to run he's got good feet and a good fend, and he's quite fast. There's no real weaknesses, that's what puts him above everyone else - he's a strong defender as well, he's got it all.

"But you look at the All Blacks, they've got great players from one to 22. You don't focus on one player, it's that team focus and being able to shut them down across the park."

Rather than target Carter directly, as South Africa have consistently tried to do with varying success in recent years, the Wallabies would look for the more subtle approach.

Deans, who watched Carter progress from the Crusaders to the world's best No 10, said placing a target on the pivot's head was the wrong way to go.

"You shut him down by stifling those around him, hopefully," Deans said.

"He's just a remarkable rugby player and the one thing you can't do is overload him and think you'll get away with it because he has such a great awareness of what's going on around him.

"It's a team thing, it's not a matter of designating an individual to him. It would be great if one man can take care of him, that'd leave 14 on 14 outside of him."

The pressure will go on the All Blacks forwards to deliver quality ball in a bruising battle up front, and halfback Andy Ellis to provide swift service, having seen off a challenge from Jimmy Cowan for the No 9 jersey.

Giteau, meanwhile, had his own tips from new coach Deans, who earmarked him as his first-five, after former coach John Connolly shuffled him from halfback to second five-eighth.

"He's given me more of an awareness, what's around me, looking up a lot more, looking for mismatches. It's something I do, I just needed to look at it more regularly."

With Giteau pulling the strings, the Wallabies stretched their record to four wins from four tests under Deans with the 16-9 win over the Springboks in Perth last Saturday.

A strong defensive performance in keeping South Africa tryless was an early indication of the team spirit engendered under Deans' guidance, Giteau said.

"It's huge. Without belief you don't buy into anything. If you don't have confidence in a certain player you won't run it properly, if you don't have confidence in defence you might not make that tackle.

"Belief is something you can't get overnight, but once you've got it, it's a huge factor."

Deans scoffs at talk of All Blacks losing their lustre

By DUNCAN JOHNSTONE in Sydney - RugbyHeaven | Friday, 25 July 2008

Robbie Deans and his players aren't buying into suggestions from former Wallabies that the All Blacks have lost their aura. The new Australian coach emphasised that New Zealand continued to be the benchmark in international rugby and they held a position that his side could only aspire to in Saturday night's Bledisloe Cup test.

Over the past week Wallabies legends Tim Horan, John Eales, Nick Farr-Jones and David Campese have all suggested the All Blacks' aura of invincibility is a thing of the past, igniting emotions ahead of the big showdown in Sydney.

Deans, a former All Blacks test player and assistant coach who now finds himself plotting the downfall of his homeland, said history suggested that if anything, the All Blacks had probably improved their remarkable record in recent times.

"It pertains to who you are talking to at the time. I guess it's easy from the other side of the chalk," said Deans on the eve of the match.

"But you only have to look at their performance history and you could argue that their performance history in recent times is superior to anything that's ever been.

"So it doesn't really matter. The only thing that matters from the perspective of these blokes is what happens on the day."

Deans said his team knew what was in front of them on Saturday night and that was a massive challenge that wouldn't be diminished by what past players were thinking or saying.

"These blokes are excited," he said of his new team. "I don't think they are daunted. I think they are genuinely excited. And you get genuinely excited when you anticipate a genuine challenge. There's no doubt that's what they are going into.

"They are up against one of the best if not the best rugby sides in the world. They are aware of that but that also excites them.

"And that's the challenge that they are looking forward to. They aspire to that (to be the best) and they get a great opportunity to stake a claim to that sort of respect."

Wallabies captain George Smith went along with that.

"I still think they are a formidable side," Smith said of the All Blacks who come to Sydney off a loss to the Springboks in Dunedin two weeks ago.

"They will be mentally refreshed and physically refreshed after their week off. We expect a very intense and physical game.

"It's a big game as it is always and you want to be part of these games. The Kiwis are always competitive and they seem to set the standard. We definitely look forward to it."

With four wins from as many games Deans has made a perfect start to his time across the Tasman.

The rapid progress hasn't surprised Deans because of the quality he has got to work with.

"These guys love what they do. They love to play. We don't tend to look at it from an outcome perspective. It's more about these guys enjoying what they do, dealing with challenges together and hopefully coping with those challenges."

But was he ahead of where he thought the team might be after a couple of months in charge?

"You always hope for the best but it doesn't pay to look ahead and chase something. You are better to deal in the moment of where you are at. You obviously have an idea in mind of where we want to get to but you have to live in the moment and respond to the moment."

And he was under no illusions that much better would be required to beat the All Blacks even after his side had risen to the challenge of downing the world champions Springboks last weekend in Perth.

"It wasn't a perfect performance last week and the All Blacks will have seen a lot of scope and opportunity and they will look to profit from that. And if they do that we will be deemed to be back behind peg one."

Deans anticipated a different sort of challenge from the All Blacks to the Springboks. This was particularly relevant to the breakdowns where the Boks had tried to intimidate with big hits.

"There will be more numbers in that area this week. It will be a big part of the game for sure."

Now Campo says ABs have lost their magic

By DUNCAN JOHNSTONE in Sydney - RugbyHeaven | Friday, 25 July 2008

The All Blacks certainly knew they were in Australia when they woke up in Sydney on Friday - the barbs keep coming at them thick and fast from Wallabies greats with David Campese the latest to fire a shot across their bows ahead of the Bledisloe Cup test.

Under a headline "That old Blacks magic ain't what it used to be" Campese let fly in his column in The Daily Telegraph newspaper

The celebrated Campese, undoubtedly one of the finest attacking players to wear a rugby jersey and Australia's best try-scorer against the All Blacks, joined a long queue of Wallabies talking down Graham Henry's side.

In what could be conceived as an orchestrated campaign to unsettle the All Blacks who have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003, Campese's thoughts coming on top of stinging comments from Tim Horan, Nick Farr-Jones and John Eales over the past week.

All seem to agree that the All Blacks are struggling to live up to the reputation created by previous teams. Campese said they had certainly lost their "fear factor".

"The aura for me for the All Blacks died many years ago," wrote Campese.

"Professionalism and the push to stamp out the intimidation factor in rugby meant the Kiwis lost the fear factor a while back.

"When they got rid of rucking the Kiwis lost a big weapon. When I played, if you got caught on the bottom of a ruck, you knew you were caught and never did it again.

"A lot of their sting came through that. It was a fear factor and that's how they I intimidated you. The haka was one way and their brutality was their other. It was all part of their makeup."

But Campese also felt there was a lessening of talent in New Zealand as well.

"Depth is now a problem across the ditch too. With good money on offer overseas now, too many big names keep disappearing from All Blacks teams.

"You have the feeling they are weaker in their depth. Their talent pool is far shallower.

"They are not invincible. Unless you are a Super 14 aficionado you often need to reach fro the programme and look up where a bloke is from. That's a strange situation when you think about the famous All Blacks."

He did save a compliment for the All Blacks at the end of his piece which probably brought more perspective to his column than his previous rants.

"Having said that I played against them 29 times and there's one certainty - they never turn up with a bad team," he wrote.

"You know the All Blacks are going to be hard. You never turn up and think you are going to win by 40 points. Just doesn't happen."

Getting sick of former Wallabies putting the boot in on the All Blacks? Post your comments below.

Fox's recipe for Bledisloe victory

By JAMIE PANDARAM - SMH | Friday, 25 July 2008

Former All Blacks five-eighth Grant Fox explains how he would coach New Zealand to victory in Saturday night's Bledisloe Cup test match at Olympic Stadium in Sydney.

Set pieces

"The Wallabies will target the All Blacks lineout. I have thought for a little while that we have been too deliberate at lineout time and lacked a bit of tempo. We have waited for the opposition to set up before making the calls. We need to make the call early and just get it done. There shouldn't be any hesitation, get it in as quick as possible.

"The other thing I would like to see is more use of the short lineout option. I like to attack off short lineouts, I like the ability of having a couple of big buggers out in the middle of the field for carries. It is a good attacking launch platform. But the key is, you have got to win it first. From memory, I believe South Africa tried the short lineout three times against Australia, they won one, lost one and had one disrupted, which is not a good strike rate. The All Blacks will still fancy their chances at scrum-time. Australia have improved, but how much? We'll find out."

Defence

"Our frontline defence is very, very good, but at times our cover defence is not as good as it should be. The errors are not systematic, they are individual errors. When Ricky Januarie went through for the try [Keven] Mealamu made an individual error [he took the dummy and allowed Januarie to run inside] and in my view [halfback] Andy Ellis also made an error. He was two wide of the ruck, what was he doing out there? "[But] the defence around the fringes of the ruck is not a concern for me this week, because they would have identified it and worked on it. I have concerns in two areas for the All Blacks. One is the cover defence. We made far more line breaks than South Africa but they just scramble back so well. We need guys in behind the line.

"The other area is our receiving of the high ball from broken play. There have been situations in the past couple of games where hookers are back there catching the ball. Using the high ball under the ELVs is part of Robbie's coaching philosophy. In the second half against South Africa they used it quite a bit and used it from their own half of the field, and the Crusaders did it as well this year. The organisation under the high ball needs to be addressed."

Breakdown

"You find these days that 30 per cent of the ball you get will come from the set pieces, and that leaves 70 per cent from breakdowns, which is a hefty chunk. So at worst, you want parity at the breakdown contest, and what you'd hope for is dominance. In the past few years the All Blacks have enjoyed dominance in this area against Australia.

"South Africa got so many numbers on the ball carrier in Dunedin, they were far more individualistic against Australia last week. Dunedin meant so much to them, they celebrated like they won a World Cup, they didn't get those numbers in against Australia's ball runners. I don't think Australia will be afforded that luxury this weekend.

"Australia will work hard in that area. South Africa will target players like [Daniel] Carter individually, sending Butch James at him, but Australia will work to the theory that if you gain ascendancy at the breakdown, it puts pressure on the kickers, they have less time, and you target them that way. [New breakaway Daniel] Braid has been in very, very good form this year. Daniel has just had this guy in front of him [Richie McCaw] who is a once-in-a-lifetime talent. Whoever wins the battle of the breakdown will go a long way to winning this match."

What do you think of Grant Fox's assessment of what it takes to win? Post your comments below.

Bledis-woe for Australia

Thursday 24th July 2008 - www.planetrugby.com

As Australia and New Zealand prepare to lock horns once again in this weekend's much-anticipated Bledisloe Cup clash in Sydney, we take a look back and see where this very large silver cup came from and the healthy rivalry involved between these two rugby proud nations within the 78-year-old tournament.

The All Blacks will extend their current Bledisloe Cup tenure to second best in the tournament's history if they can win this year's giant four-match series against Australia.

The title holders are chasing a fifth successive defence, an achievement only bettered by the All Blacks side who owned the famous piece of trans-Tasman silverware from 1951 to 1978.

That mammoth tenure featured 11 defences.

They were also holders from 1936 to 1948 but only had to defend three times because of the intervention of World War Two.

Their current run began when an All Blacks team coached by John Mitchell and assistant Robbie Deans beat Australia 2-0 in 2003, ending a record Wallabies tenure which featured four successful defences.

As holders, the All Blacks need only win two of the matches to get New Zealand engraved for a 37th time compared to Australia's 12.

Donated in 1931 by the Governor-General of New Zealand, Lord Bledisloe, the Bledisloe Cup is the ultimate symbol of trans-Tasman rivalry and was first won by New Zealand with Australia taking home the honours for the first time in 1934.

Between 1931 and 1981 it was contested irregularly in the course of rugby tours between the two countries. New Zealand won it 19 times and Australia four times in this period including in 1949 when Australia won it for the first time on New Zealand soil.

The trophy itself was apparently 'lost' during this period and reportedly rediscovered in a Melbourne store room. In the years 1982 to 1995 it was contested annually, sometimes as a series of three matches and other times in a single match. During these years New Zealand won it 11 times and Australia three times.

The introduction of the Tri-Nations series in 1996 ensured at least two matches every year on a home and away basis.

The Wallabies regained the Bledisloe Cup in 1998 with a 3-0 series victory, and retained it again in 1999 with the series drawn 1-1. The 1999 Bledisloe Cup match in Sydney provided a world record rugby crowd of 107,046 at ANZ Stadium (formerly known as Stadium Australia).

In 2000, the Bledisloe was retained by Australia when John Eales kicked a penalty from the touchline in the final moments of the match.

Another one of the most dramatic matches was played in 2001 at ANZ Stadium, in what would be Eales' last ever Test for the Wallabies. The Australians were hoping to send their skipper off in grand style and a fairytale ending was on the cards when the Wallabies held a solid 19-6 lead over the All Blacks in the first half.

However, tries to Doug Howlett and Pita Alatini, along with Andrew Mehrtens' boot, saw the All Blacks back in front 26-22. But in the dying moments of the game, Wallaby number eight Toutai Kefu scored the winning try for Australia.

Australia went on to retain the Bledisloe Cup for the next three years until 2003 when a very classy All Blacks team won back the Cup in convincing fashion and in 2004, they only needed to win one game against Australia in 2004 to return it to New Zealand soil.

The Wallabies have not won it back since.

In 2007, the series reverted back to two games due to the Rugby World Cup. Australia won the first match 20-15, the All Blacks won the second, and as current holders of the Cup, retained the trophy yet again.

This year, Australia have four opportunities to bring the Bledisloe Cup back to Wallaby headquarters, starting on Saturday in Sydney and followed a week later in Auckland.

The third match is in Brisbane on September 13 while the fourth will provide the first neutral venue in the long history of Bledisloe Cup action, when the teams meet in Hong Kong on November 1.

Bledisloe Cup results: 1931-2008
(Series wins in brackets)
1931: New Zealand (1-0)
1932: New Zealand (2-1)
1934: Australia (1-0)
1936: New Zealand (2-0)
1938: New Zealand (3-0)
1946: New Zealand (2-0)
1947: New Zealand (2-0)
1949: Australia (2-0)
1951: New Zealand (3-0)
1952: New Zealand (1-1)
1955: New Zealand (2-1)
1957: New Zealand (2-0)
1958: New Zealand (2-1)
1962: New Zealand (4-0)
1964: New Zealand (2-1)
1967: New Zealand (1-0)
1968: New Zealand (2-0)
1972: New Zealand (3-0)
1974: New Zealand (2-0)
1978: New Zealand (2-1)
1979: Australia (1-0)
1980: Australia (2-1)
1982: New Zealand (2-1)
1983: New Zealand (1-0)
1984: New Zealand (2-1)
1985: New Zealand (1-0)
1986: Australia (2-1)
1987: New Zealand (1-0)
1988: New Zealand (2-0)
1989: New Zealand (1-0)
1990: New Zealand (2-1)
1991: New Zealand (1-1)
1992: Australia (2-1)
1993: New Zealand (1-0)
1994: Australia (1-0)
1995: New Zealand (2-0)
1996: New Zealand (2-0)
1997: New Zealand (3-0)
1998: Australia (3-0)
1999: Australia (1-1)
2000: Australia (1-1)
2001: Australia (2-0)
2002: Australia (1-1)
2003: New Zealand (2-0)
2004: New Zealand (1-1)
2005: New Zealand (2-0)
2006: New Zealand (3-0)
2007: New Zealand (1-1)

Brian Moore on ELV attack

Thursday 24th July 2008 - www.planetrugby.com

Among all the reviews, reports and recriminations regarding the trial of the ELVs in the north ahead of next season, former England hooker and current solicitor/columnist Brian Moore's voice has been shouting louder than most.

After three or four choice columns on the subject of tight matches despite the ELVs and on southern hemisphere 'bullying', Moore went on the full offensive this week and delivered a withering attack on the ELVs, the trialling process, and the reasoning behind them.

It makes for reading every bit as compelling as Moore's performance on the field used to be, but then it would have to, being as it is delivered with the forthright and barely-masked aggression Moore used to carry onto pitches all over the world.

Here is Moore's Daily Telegraph column in near-full form for the staunch defenders of the old game to sit back and enjoy!

"The laws are for ALL levels of the game. The view of Super 14 supporters and viewers is no more legitimate than that of any third XV player in London Division Two. It is now quite plain that only the views of those connected with games seen on television, and thus 'in the shop window', are being heard. Few unions have sought the views of all their constituents and even fewer have a mandate on the subject.

- Any ELV that threatens the unique tenet of rugby - that it is a game for all shapes and sizes - should not see the light of day.

- I do not accept that there was, or is, overwhelming evidence that rugby needs fundamental changes to its laws. Nobody has ever identified the imperative which made this whole exercise necessary.

- 'If laws do not move forwards, the game moves backwards' - it's a stupid cliche, disproved by many other sports whose laws have remained static without detriment.

- I was and still am suspicious of the motives of certain countries that are pushing the ELVs, because I was at an International Rugby Board meeting at which it was stated that the moratorium in introducing any new laws had to be introduced because it became obvious that certain countries, Australia in particular, were suggesting law 'improvements' which would favour their international team's strengths.

- Trialling has been inconsistent.

- The alleged success of the ELVs is based on flawed reasoning and to principles that are incapable of being defined.

- Many of the alleged benefits of the ELVs are illusory.

- Many of the first-seen consequences of the ELVs have now altered in a way unsought by their proponents.

- The history of their introduction will be a standard text for future sixth-formers in how not to do things.

"Having been, wrongly, identified as a Luddite for daring to raise any or all of the points above, I do not agree with the following ELVs, and/or, make these comments:

"Allowing mauls to be collapsed: I don't think collapses will produce many more injuries, save for lifting a man off his feet, which is dangerous and should be carded immediately. I do think it removes the last method of ensuring opposition forwards are kept in, or close to, the breakdown and not clogging up the midfield.

"The assertion that it is impossible to stop is transparently untrue; if it were true every team that tried to drive the maul immediately from a line-out near their opponent's line would score. They do not - ergo?

"Not having to match the throwing team's numbers in the line-out: This allows packing midfields with forwards and putting 'flyers' at the tail to exploit an advanced position. This could be solved by making any forward not in a line-out stand 10 metres back and within 15m of touch.

"Handling in the ruck: They say this only legitimises what goes on anyway. It goes on only because referees allow it. Go back to the previous laws on rucking.

"Reducing all offences to a free-kick, save for offside, foul play and repeated or cynical offending: This has not led to the referee being less involved in games, the reverse is true. On average there are 50 per cent more times when the referee whistles. This is because players are prepared to take a risk on committing offences, knowing the referee has a difficult job deciding on their intention. Thus, referees are as much, if not more, involved in influencing the game.

"This proposed change has contradictorily been claimed to both speed up the game and empower the scrum. Both cannot be true. Further, even if there are scrums chosen instead of a free-kick, scrums are not empowered because they are not a contest anyway due to the IRB allowing referees to ignore the stated put-in law.

"Drawing an offside line immediately when a tackle takes place: It is a measure of the confusion caused by the 'okey-cokey'-style trialling of the ELVs that we do not know if this still lurks or is dead. If not, kill it, it is stupid.

"The avowed intent and claimed consequence of the ELVs to 'speed up the game' is illegitimate. The 95 per cent of players to which the ELVs will apply do not need or want a 'faster' game, nor are they equipped to play one.

"If you want to discourage aerial table tennis, extend the 'mark' rule to the 10m line of the opponents' half. This would stop aimless punting, particularly the chip and chase when players can think of nothing else to do with possession.

"Can I be any more candid?"

We at Planet Rugby think not.

Smith hopes for end to 'defensive uncertainty'

Thursday, 24 July 2008 - NZPA

Australia continue to be the innovators in world rugby back play, adding to Saturday's Bledisloe Cup challenge for an All Blacks side whose modified defence has stuttered this year, according to assistant coach Wayne Smith.

Uncharacteristic missed tackles and defensive miscommunication have marred New Zealand's start to 2008, coming to a head when Springboks halfback Ricky Januarie scored his late match-winning try at Dunedin two weeks ago.

Smith said his coaching staff were introducing multiple systems to use in defence this year but it was taking time to bed in and mistakes were being made that were not apparent in recent seasons.

"The All Black environment, because of the lack of time together, it's not a good environment to learn new things in," Smith told NZPA.

"There have been some mistakes made that we perhaps wouldn't have made in the past but I think it will benefit us in the future because we'll have a more varied defence for different situations."

Smith hoped the defensive uncertainty that cost them a 28-30 loss at Dunedin would not return against the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday.

A more experienced side have been named this week, which will be important if the match is tight in the closing stages.

"We just have to keep working at being more composed and shutting out games when the opportunity is there. That will come with experience," Smith said.

"I always think 28 points is enough to win any test match and really that should have been enough to win."

The Wallabies' new-look five-eighths combination of Matt Giteau and Berrick Barnes made them as difficult to prepare for as any Australian side, Smith said.

He should know, having been involved in 21 Bledisloe Cup tests as either a first five-eighth, head coach or assistant coach - for an overall record of 13 wins and eight losses.

His test debut at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1980 was opposite mercurial five-eighths Mark Ella and Michael Hawker and it made an instant impression.

"When I was playing, there was always the Ellas and the Hawkers and (David) Campeses and (Brendan) Moons," Smith said.

"They were always the world leaders of their era and some of these blokes (on Saturday) are world leaders in their era."

The chief gamebreakers loom as Giteau and winger Lote Tuqiri, although Smith had respect for midfielders Ryan Cross and Barnes, who provided variety and had bulked up to good effect.

"He (Barnes) has got a lot more impact on the game than he did a couple of years ago," said Smith, who believed injured centre and captain Stirling Mortlock had been adequately replaced by first-test starter Cross.

"Obviously they'll be down on experience but in terms of style of play and ball-carries, I think Cross does a lot of the same.

"You just had to look at the Western Force against the Crusaders, I thought he had a top game that day against a lot of our blokes."

Smith predicted a high-paced game if conditions allowed.

Australia provide more challenges across the field than any other international opponents and he hoped his side could respond in kind.

"Us and them, I would say, play the most expansive rugby of all the international teams," he said.

"The French have on occasion in the past but generally the All Blacks and the Aussies play with more width and have a greater attacking attitude."

The All Blacks flew to Sydney this afternoon after a buildup in Wellington that has been marred by wet weather.

Smith said there was no concern about a lack of physical preparation, with the All Blacks taking the attitude that less was better.

They had been "storing up the energy, fastness and the freshness to unleash it on Saturday".

Deans gets the cold shoulder from All Blacks

By JIM KAYES - The Dominion Post | Wednesday, 23 July 2008

It took a while, but finally his name was mentioned, and then only once. Robbie Deans is coach of the Wallabies but it would be easier to get Winston Peters to admit to a $100,000 donation than entice the All Blacks coaches to say the words Robbie or Deans out loud.

During a 20-minute press conference on Tuesday, which confirmed Richie McCaw is on track to lead the All Blacks against Australia in Sydney on Saturday and pitched rookie Richard Kahui into the Bledisloe Cup fray, Deans was a name to be heard by the coaches, but never spoken.

Head coach Graham Henry talked about "the Australian coach" and referred to "the situation" – an oblique way of mentioning that he kept the All Blacks job ahead of Deans.

But Deans' former Crusaders partners, Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith, got through the press conference without mentioning his name at all.

It might have been a quirk, but it smacked of a deliberate policy that had shades of a strategy England and the British and Irish Lions have used when they refused to talk about 'the All Blacks'.

They were playing the New Zealand rugby team – a verbal tactic they hoped would dilute the aura attached to the All Blacks.

And so it was with the All Blacks coaches as they insisted having (you-know-who) in the other camp would not make winning on Saturday even more satisfying.

"What could be bigger than winning an All Black test if you're an All Black coach?" Smith asked. "There is nothing bigger for us. It's a team thing, man."

Henry was the only one who slipped in the no-name game when he admitted "Robbie" had an advantage having coached under the experimental laws during the Super 14.

That faux pas aside, he stuck to the script.

" I know there is a media interest and a public interest in the situation," Henry said. "It's obvious, and that's good. It gives it more edge. But from my point of view I've got to concentrate on what I have to do, so my mind doesn't deviate to think of things I can't control.

"From our point of view it's no different to preparing for another test match of this magnitude. It's a huge test match, it always is, and nothing has changed."

Yet, for the public, everything's changed.

The All Blacks coaches might be at pains to ignore him, but Deans' role as Wallabies coach is the key talking point this week.

It drowns any debate over whether Kahui should have been picked at centre ahead of Conrad Smith, who drops to the bench ahead of a "bruised and battered" Leon MacDonald.

Wayne Smith said the decision was tactical, but would not elaborate.

"We just feel for this game, this opposition, on this track, he is the right selection."

The Deans v Henry clash also overrides whether McCaw will make a miraculous return from the high ankle strain that was meant to sideline him for another two weeks.

McCaw trained with the All Blacks in a wet and windy Wellington on Tuesday but has been bracketed with Daniel Braid.

Henry said it was 50-50 whether McCaw would play and said it would be left to the skipper to decide whether he was ready to battle George Smith and Phil Waugh.

"He has to feel like he is going to be competitive. He is playing against two of the best sevens in the world, in Smith and Waugh, and he doesn't want to be disadvantaged in that competition.

"If he thinks he can be competitive, he will play."

Other changes see the return of lock Brad Thorn and prop Greg Somerville after Thorn was banned for the second Springboks test and Somerville strangely not wanted.

Anthony Tuitavake also replaces Rudi Wulf on the wing with Smith again suggesting it was tactical but not wanting to explain any further least it give the Wallabies - and you-know-who - a leg up.

The Australian team will be named Wednesday, but it will not include captain Stirling Mortlock, who has been ruled out because of concussion suffered during last Saturday's match against the Springboks.

NEW ZEALAND: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Anthony Tuitavake, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Andy Ellis; 8 Jerome Kaino, 7 Daniel Braid, 6 Rodney So'oialo (c), 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Woodcock: Reserves: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 John Afoa, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Sione Lauaki, 20 Jimmy Cowan, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Conrad Smith.

 

 

'Roo-bie' Deans fails his Matilda test

By GREER McDONALD & RICHARD KNOWLER - Fairfax Media | Thursday, 24 July 2008

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans is yet to tie his Aussie lingo down, failing to recite the words of Waltzing Matilda during a live radio interview.

Sydney Radio talkback host Jason Morrison asked Deans to finish sentences to Australia's unofficial national anthem, after he heard that Deans had taught himself the official anthem.

Deans – who has attracted nicknames like "Roo-bie" and "Dingo" – became Australia's first non-Australian national rugby coach when he was appointed last year.

Morrison said in the interview: "Can you finish the sentence for me here; once a jolly swagman..."

The former Crusaders coach was silent and then replied: "Oh mate, now you're stretching me too far, singing has never been a priority of mine."

Morrison tried again. "You don't have to sing it, just say the words. Under the shade of a ... what?"

Deans faltered again and said he needed to do a "bit more homework ... good on ya, mate".

The correct lines were: Once a jolly swagman, camped by a billabong, under the shade of a coolibah tree.

Meanwhile, there will be no love-in meetings between Robbie Deans and the All Blacks before the Bledisloe Cup test.

Instead Deans will keep his distance from the New Zealanders when they fly into Sydney tonight to prepare for Saturday night's showdown.

"No, not pre-game," Deans said in reference to suggestions he might take time to chew the pre-match fat with the Kiwis.

"They are obviously a group. But the blokes I worked with I have a huge amount of respect for, and we will catch up post-match."

Deans has worked with many of the All Blacks players, management staff and coaches since making his first-class debut for Canterbury as a player in 1979.

He played alongside Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen for Canterbury before working with them at the Crusaders and also nurtured many of the All Blacks' players' careers.

However, he half-expects to attract some banter from the players, especially the likes of livewire lock Ali Williams.

"Who knows what they will have to say down the tunnel if we pump into each other beforehand. You never quite know. Ali I am sure will have something to say," he added with a laugh.

"You know respect is an important ingredient in this game and we as a team have a lot of respect for the All Blacks."

It would not be easy for Deans to listen to the New Zealand national anthem, said Hansen, who experienced such emotions himself while coaching Wales.

Robbie at heart of Australia's fight for survival

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.