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The man tipped to be the first foreigner to coach the Wallabies – New Zealander Robbie Deans – has returned fire to the critics who doubted a Kiwi would make a passionate Australian rugby coach after being interviewed for the job in Brisbane last night.
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“I’ve got a passion for the game, I love this game. I love a challenge,” he said after a two-hour meeting with a five-strong Wallabies coaching selection panel.
“I really enjoy the people in the game. I probably have as many connections here as I do at home – I’ve been in SANZAR rugby for 11 years now.”
Deans also paid no heed to cynics describing the Wallabies job as his “second choice” after the successful Crusaders coach missed out on the All Blacks job last Friday to Graham Henry.
“Everyone is aware of that (he applied for the All Blacks job). But I want to coach at the international level,” he said.
“I believe I have done my apprenticeship. I enjoy working with people and achieving outcomes and I see a great opportunity here – I would give it 100 per cent as I always do.”
Deans said he would walk away from his Super 14 coaching job at the Crusaders if he was handed the Wallabies reins.
While the Australian Rugby Union is believed to be happy for Deans or rival candidate David Nucifora to continue coaching in the Super 14 before joining the Wallabies, the NZRU board are not expected to take a favourable view when they discuss their future today.
Asked if he would leave the Crusaders if named Australian coach, Deans said: “ultimately I would have to, the question is at what point.”
Deans flew in from Christchurch to face the selection panel after the ARU sought out the Kiwi almost a month after interviewing Nucifora, Ewen McKenzie, John Muggleton, Laurie Fisher and Alan Jones for the Wallabies job.
The Wallabies selection panel will add their recommendations on Deans’ candidacy for the job to those of the five Australians who were interviewed for the position on November 9.
“You are never confident. You just give it your best shot, and you hope to hit the mark – I guess time will tell,” Deans said of his chances after a “thorough” interview.
“They (panel) got pretty deep. They got below the surface not only in terms of myself but also the game.”
Asked what he could bring to Australian rugby, Deans said: “Every coach hopefully makes a difference.
“My plan would be to make a positive difference. I’ve got ideas but I won’t go into them here, I haven’t got the job yet.”
The selection panel’s final recommendation will be handed to the ARU board for review at a two-day meeting in Sydney starting on Thursday.
Support for Deans gained momentum when former Wallabies captain John Eales backed the New Zealander to become the next Australian rugby coach.
Eales cited Deans’ attractive and successful style of play that he employed at Super 14 level.
Eales, the most successful Wallabies captain, said Deans had better credentials than the five original Australian-born candidates and would bring an attractive style of rugby to the game.
“If you look at his coaching record he does stand out over all the other coaching candidates,” Eales told ABC radio.
Some high profile former Wallabies such as Farr-Jones and Peter FitzSimons have criticised the idea of appointing a foreign Wallabies coach.
Farr-Jones said he would not be motivated by a Wallabies coach with a Kiwi accent before a Bledisloe Cup match.
But dual international Mat Rogers said former players like Farr-Jones could not be taken seriously because they were out of touch with the modern game.
“That’s ridiculous. Nick Farr-Jones played in an amateur era so this comes from an amateur,” Rogers told AAP.
“If he played in a professional era he would understand you do your job regardless of who is telling you.
“Players have too much pride in their performance to worry about that (nationality).
“If you need a coach to fire you up to play in a Bledisloe Cup match then you shouldn’t be even be there.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.