Rugby.com.au, the ARU’s website, has published the first of what is going to be a series of columns about the Wallabies by the coach, Robbie Deans.
You rarely get ‘scoop’ stories from columns like this, but there is enough meat in the opening column for Wallaby supporters to chew on during the week leading up to the Test against France.
After the Test, the Wallabies broke into the national anthem, “which was sung with great gusto by everyone who involved.”
Presumably, the ‘everyone’ included the coach. Was this comment a way of replying to criticism from Alan Jones earlier in the week that Deans was too close to players like Daniel Carter and Richie McCaw to set the Wallaby attack dogs on them in a Bledisloe Cup Test?
Deans answered the question of whether there were differences between the Australian players and their New Zealand counterparts he’d coached this way: “To be honest, there is no difference … We’ve been excited by the players’ receptiveness to new ideas, and their willingness to participate in discussions and offer their thoughts.”
He “couldn’t have been happier” with the commitment of the entire squad: “This manifested itself most visually in the defensive effort, which unquestionably proved decisive in winning us the Test. While the Irish enjoyed a majority share of possession and territory, they were unable to break through when it mattered.”
Greg Growden has reported in his excellent Ruck’n’Maul column that Peter Hynes won the first players’ Player of the Season award.
I would agree with this.
It was Hynes’ willingness to run the ball back at Ireland and make long gains with his carry that kept the Wallabies in the game when they did not have possession or field position. Hynes ensured that what ball the Wallabies had was often used well.
Robbie Deans has apparently instigated a second award for a ‘special act’ in a Test.
Phil Waugh won this for making eight tackles in the few minutes he was on the field. In my review of the Test I referred to Waugh’s cameo as being like bowling ball knocking over the Irish attackers all over the field.
Deans may well have been thinking of this effort when he noted: “Outcomes are earned, and they are not achieved without much toil and a great deal of sacrifice.”
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