As Robbie Deans’ first season at the helm draws to a close, there is a firm belief that the Wallabies have at last broken the shackles of the Eddie Jones era and are headed for another special chapter in Australian rugby history.
The optimism rises not from a string of wins on the European tour, where the Wallabies are unbeaten in three Tests for the first time since 1996 – three years before Australia last won the World Cup.
No, the belief is strengthening because of the manner of their victories over Italy, England and France, which many observers would describe as unconvincing, flattering and – certainly for the 18-13 escape in Paris last Saturday – downright lucky.
The Wallabies have a more positive viewpoint.
Having come from behind in all three Tests, skipper Stirling Mortlock cannot recall Wallabies sides displaying such steel, nerve and composure in several years.
But Deans and, perhaps more pertinently, his assistant Michael Foley – the 1999 World Cup-winning hooker who has been forwards coach for the past three seasons, have seen much more than that on the spring tour.
They see a side, with a fresh injection of youth to complement mainstays like Mortlock, Matt Giteau, George Smith, Nathan Sharpe and Al Baxter, that is finally moving on from the structured days of Jones, whose Wallabies were scared of straying from a regimented game plan.
When Deans took charge in June, he urged the Wallabies to back themselves, to read the game for themselves and to attack without fear.
It was part of a plan to transform the Wallabies into a more positive team, one capable of thinking on their feet and able to adjust without constant input from coaching staff.
After all, Deans, Foley and fellow assistant coach Jim Williams aren’t the ones on the field scoring tries, kicking goals and winning scrums and lineouts.
“The real focus for us on this tour has been trying to become more instinctive about our game,” Foley said ahead of the Wallabies’ final Test against Wales at Millennium Stadium on Saturday.
“And one of the most pleasing things about this tour has been, I don’t think a game that we’ve played so far has gone to script, but the adaptations of the players on the field have been outstanding.
“Rarely do you get to play a top opponent in any sport and things go exactly as you want them to. The fact that the players have been able to be flexible in their thinking and come up with the answers to get the results has been really pleasing.
“It shows a lot of maturity in the group. There were guys 12 months ago that may not have been able to do that.
“So while it hasn’t been pretty and it hasn’t been perfectly scripted every time, the adaptations that have been found during games say very positive things.”
Foley said whatever game plan the new-era Wallabies map out for a match, there must always be enough scope for players to change it if that’s what’s needed.
Foley traced the highly structured game back to the extremely successful World Cup winning era of coach Rod Macqueen in the late 1990s and early 2000s, not long after the game turned professional.
But he felt those players were better suited to it.
“We were the first side that went down a very highly structured path. That was with Rod (Macqueen), but at the time we had a number of players who had played a lot of their careers when it was largely unscripted.
“So the ability to switch between the two was easy. Beyond that, we became so overly scripted that players lost the ability to make those decisions.
“They’re starting to get that back and the signs are positive.
“We’ve got guys who have played a lot of rugby and it would be silly for any coach to think all the answers lie in his mind.
“Our players have a lot of the answers and they just sometimes need to be asked.”
That is what Deans has done; asking the players to contribute to game plans and asking them to come up with their own tactics to win games.
“They’re offering things and looking at what the opposition are doing and suggesting solutions to those problems,” Foley said.
“They’re never one-dimensional solutions. There’s always a different possibility. And being able to think like that off the field allows you to sort of think that’s how you should be thinking on the field.
“What we can’t let the players feel like is that they should react against their instinct.”
In embracing the Deans way, the Wallabies have racked up nine wins from 13 Tests in 2008, including a drought-breaking victory in South Africa and a home success over the top-ranked All Blacks.
Far from satisfied, though, the evolving Wallabies are promising much, much more.
“We’re still learning and jelling together,” said winger Peter Hynes, one of several Wallabies in their first year of Test rugby.
“We’re looking for that 80-minute performance. As of yet, we haven’t had that.
“There’s a feeling that it’s starting to come along, that were starting to jell as players together.
“Once we do put that 80-minute performance in – hopefully it’s this weekend – I dont think any team is going to stick with us.
“You always get teething problems and we’ve certainly had them but there’s a real feeling in the group, a real positivity about where we’re going and how we’re getting there.”
The Wallabies would love to make a statement by signing off with an emphatic win over the Welsh but, looking at the bigger picture, that is not so vital.
“What this game represents is the last hurdle in the challenge to come to the northern hemisphere and play the sort of rugby that’s going to win us games,” Foley said.
“That sort of rugby has varied from week to week and there has been opportunities in games that I think we’ve taken. There’s been some luck in games that has gone our way.
“There’s also been things in games, decisions, that have gone against us.
“But the really important thing is for me, from understanding what’s happened behind the scenes, is that the players have been good enough to adapt to circumstances that have been placed in front of them.
“I agree that they haven’t always been ideal circumstances but the players have been strong enough both mentally and in skill to adapt to get the win.”
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.
To get an understanding of the injury crisis unfolding at the NSW Waratahs, all you need to do is look at how far their…
The Wallaroos' must-win rugby match against the US has an extra level of intrigue with former Test assistant Sione Fukofuka now head coach of…
Who does Kurtley Beale think should be Wallabies captain? Matt Toomua put the question to the 95-capped veteran on the Roar Rugby Podcast! LISTEN:…
The Waratahs' woes go from bad to worse following the injury of HJH. However, while Matt Toomua and Christy Doran commend the fight shown…
Kurtley Beale is taking every opportunity he can since joining the Western Force, and has admitted the time out of the spotlight was vital…
It didn’t come as that big a surprise when Sam Cane announced he was walking away from the All Blacks on Monday. That’s not…
