Is this the courtain on Robbie Deans' Wallabies era?
I fear Wallabies won't win tomorrow!
As a big Wallabies fan since well... I started playing and watching rugby, I really liked when he was named as head coach back in 2007, as I (as well many others) thought a big change was needed by that team!
Credit to a coach that not only has rebuilt a team with the injection of new guys, but also he changed the mind in a very static team, to a more dynamic one!
The "play what's in front of you" philosophy was much needed in that team bound to a more complex culture of tactics and structures, but incredibly weak in some key aspect of the game that uses to crumble so quick like dominoes.
The first two years of rebuilding (later 2008-2010) has been great in terms of attack, but again still fragile on lineouts, scrummaging and defence; in the latter years the implementation of new simple but effective structures in attack as well a consolidation of defensive movements allowed to that team to firmly compete with the n.1 ranked, at least being steady close to them, minimizing the gap!
He fixed the lineout, the defence, and the scrummaging until Benn Robinson injuries in 2011, but after that they've been exposed to the lack of quality back-up, but this is not Deans' fault of course.
If we look at the players turnovered in these years he almost never misjudge, maybe he looked subborn on someone, but just for example:
- Timani's improving amazingly test by test, now
- the never to be a centre Pat McCabe is sorely missed now in midfield
- Radike Samo inclusion in 2012 squad was right
- Dave Dennis can be up to the task at least better than Higginbotham
- KB was horrible in 2007-2008 (whose only highlight was striking Cory Jane with a kick) is now among the first 3 fb in world rugby
- when captaincy was ripped off from him, Elsom performance improved
- a big ass-face captain among the forward is needed by this team (injuries apart)
- the under par passer Burges is also missed now as in the last 20s (or even more) the team needs to wake up
- Dan Vickerman's return to Australia
He can be blamed to not having tested many players recently, but the ones who he introduced at test level, they are all up to that, and maybe the guys he did not included or called up, are not up to that!
Deans could be the 2nd or 3rd worst Wallaby coach, but under him, Wallabies broke many hoo-doos, in South Africa, in France, against New Zealand, they won the Tri Nations again, they build up a good winning strike against the Springboks, but also had shocking defeat... I think they are part of the game, and until now there are only one team that never experienced that, the All Blacks.
Many teams lost to Scotland or Samoa (or Tonga or...), that natural sometimes occur and it's not the main trouble.
IMO the best quality he gave to this team in the last 2 years, is the consistency and the capability of winning tight game and being competitive always for 80', against All Blacks, against South Africa at home and away (both on sealevel and highveld), he changed the mentality of a team, he evolved the pure enthusiasm of the 2009-2010 era to the winning attitude of 2011-2012.
Although I think something have now broken.
Maybe his words after they were nilled by the All Blacks, they resound in a fatalism "we can't do better than ranking 2nd", and surely weren't appreciate among the players. Again he was probably right, but it's not something you want to hear from your head coach, not the spur you need after days like that.
Only 4 good wins and a good November tour can save Deans, but I think it won't happen.
And with the upcoming Lions Series in 2013 a new coach will desperately need the autumn international window to reassemble the team for that challenge.
The point is: are there any coaches, in Australia, up to the task?
Ewen McKenzie is the first name you can pronounce, but I'm not sure if he's ready right now, instead I'm sure he would be quite in the same spot Deans was in 2008, but with less time to deliver his work!
Maybe Jake White, but he's now firmly bound to the Brumbies, so it's not a simple solution, and again it would be another foreign coach under a further (pointless) pressure.
I really don't know what's better for the Wallabies!
), I'm just suggesting that Dean's record would look far better if he didn't have to play the top team in the world 3-4 times a year! Since Deans took over in 2008 Australia has a winning record against every other team in the top 8 in the world apart from the AB's (we will conveniently ignore his record against teams ranked 9th and 10th in the world though.....).
