Former Rugby World Cup-winning coach Bob Dwyer has accused Wallabies assistants Jim Williams and Richard Graham of not doing their jobs.
The Wallabies continued their woes in the Tri-Nations by capitulating 33-6 to the All Blacks on Saturday night, their sixth straight loss to New Zealand.
Since making the 2003 World Cup final, Australia have managed just ten victories from 30 matches in the competition and Dwyer believes there needs to be an urgent focus on teaching players the fundamentals of the game.
“I can’t believe that Robbie Deans is not a good coach but equally I can’t believe that his coaching staff are doing the job,” Dwyer told AAP.
“If they are doing the job, there would be results showing.
He also had little time for some of the selections made during the international season.
“I would say the same about the selectors, some of the selections beggar belief,” Dwyer said.
“Who in their right mind ever thought that Richard Brown was a better footballer than Wycliff Palu. What element of his game is better?
“Whoever thought Pek Cowan, who I think is a talented youngster, who thought at this stage of his development that Pek Cowan is an international prop?
“There is no part of his game that is up to international standard, not one single part of his game.”
Deans was labelled as the saviour of Australian rugby following his signing before the 2008 international season.
But even the super coach at the Crusaders has struggled to spark the Wallabies, they have won four of 12 Tri-Nations matches under him and dropped five of their past six.
The last time Australia had such a bad run was under Eddie Jones before he was sacked at the end of the 2005 season.
Deans is also part of Australia’s selection panel with Williams and high performance manager David Nucifora holding the other spots.
Dwyer, who guided the Wallabies to glory at the 1991 World Cup, believed plenty of talented players were still being produced, such as Matt Giteau, Berrick Barnes, George Smith, Rocky Elsom and Tatafu Polota-Nau.
But he said players were falling short in fundamental areas of the game.
“I can’t believe that those players have produced those sorts of things at training and not been able to produce them in a game,” he said.
“I keep quoting Les Kiss (defence coach), `we have to do the fundamentals so many times and execute them so many times that they become part of our DNA’.
“The fundamentals must become part of your DNA so that you virtually can’t do them incorrectly.”
Australia’s dire showing meant the national side went tryless in consecutive matches against the All Blacks for the first time in almost half a century.
Former Test flanker Simon Poidevin said the Australians desperately needed to lift at the breakdown against the All Blacks in their next meeting on October 31 in Tokyo.
“Our Achilles heel right now against the All Blacks is the intensity at the breakdown contest, that is where they have got us every time over the last two or three years and that is where the side really needs to focus on its improvement,” he said.
mother teresa
Guest
KING, lovely post and a novel way of spelling the problem. what im hearing is you are close to wallies assistant coaches who the meanies are denigrating. this criticism is a backhanded fashion of targetting deans performance:dont worry ,be happy
King of Dubai
Guest
Bob Dwyer won 50% of his matches in charge of the 'Tahs from 2001- 03. Not fantastic- not only that does 96- 19 ring any bells? Okay Dwyer has won a World Cup and good on him. He plucked young players such as Eales, Kearns from obscurity blah blah we've all heard it before. Deans is the best man for the job, and I think the coaching staff are fine also. Players do need to step up- we know they CAN do what is required of them (brisbane test), however they need to put in week in week out. I feel this is a phsyciological problem amongst the players- Deans methods cant be questioned he has proven experience and he wouldnt settle for 2nd rate assistants.
mother teresa
Guest
yes and no
Dexter William
Roar Guru
I agree there. Dywers general point of view is pretty good, his comment about Palu was the big hole in the bucket for me.
AndyS
Guest
Which of course everyone is doing. If that was all it took to become an international prop, we ought to have at least 10. But it isn't - that gets a player to the level of Super 14 quality prop. Where do they take that next step?
Justin
Guest
One thing Pek might want to work on is his tackling. He was the one Nonu went straight through initially, the Gits missed him as well in the lead up to his try.
Dean Pantio
Guest
You left out S14.
AndyS
Guest
I'd agree. I don't think I have ever heard anyone say the Brown goes missing in the hard places - too much the opposite, if anything. And I wonder where Bob would propose developing youngsters like Pek into international props then...I mean, it is not like we have an Aus A program or anything. Right now, it is amateur rugby or the Tests, and Pek has been involved in both. Is Bob saying they shouldn't bother with player development?
Dan
Guest
Regardless of his contribution, the 1980s were a long time ago now, and ultimately he ended essentially becoming toxic toward the players and thus the loss at the 1987 RWC, much like the credit for the 1984 grand slam, lies with him. If he had been a man in the mould of Wayne Bennett - constantly involved in the game and always enjoying consistent success - I would agree with you despite my feelings towards the bile he spews forth on his radio program. The fact remains, however, that he ended his coaching tenue in Australian Rugby's top job with a capitulation and has never since returned to the game to square the ledger. This reality severely limits his utility in my opinion. People say a week is a long time in Rugby, and if that is true then 20 years is an eternity... especially for one to be out of the game. Maybe if he went to France or England to coach for a while, or even did something with club and then Super 14 here (perhaps they could give him the reds top job - if he manages to succeed there, I'll gladly eat my words), then it would be worth considering. Until then though, leave coaching to the people who know the game as it is today, rather than one old crack-pot who knew how it was 25 years ago.
AC
Guest
He's an idiot talking up Cliff Palu. Cliff Palu in no way deserves to be in the starting 15. The guy is one of the laziest loose forwards going around. One good game in 20 where he actually fires up...
Frank O'Keeffe
Guest
Dan, See this thread for my viewpoints on Jones' positives and negatives - http://www.theroar.com.au/2009/06/15/alan-jones-should-be-in-the-australia-rugby-hall-of-fame/ Alan Jones was a truly remarkable coach, and like Poidevin says, rugby has never seen his like before, not even with Carwyn James or Fred Allen. Australia owes him a huge debt for turning Australia into a recognised world power.
CraigB
Roar Guru
I find this interesting - “Whoever thought Pek Cowan, who I think is a talented youngster, who thought at this stage of his development that Pek Cowan is an international prop? Could you have asked the same question about P Kearns in 1989?? Could it be that given the opportunity the coaching staff believe that he will become one?
Ben C
Guest
Maybe we should look at bringing back Jones or Dwyer to play a role in selection as both were renowned for spotting potential early.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Bob Dwyer would know. He is to my mind the last of the great readers and pickers of rugby talent.
Dan
Guest
Alan Jones?!? Yes, the man did help in the 1980s to recruit some bulk, but ultimately his authoritarian style so alienated the players that they ended up having secret meetings to come up with their own tactics. The man got out of control and completely bungled the 1987 World Cup campaign that they were favourites to win! Perhaps the wallabies need a motivational speaker or something, but not Alan Jones... the man is so deeply out of touch with reality - let alone the now professional sport of Rugby - that it would be akin to the "motivation" that Russell Crowe's boxing training videos gave the Rabbitohs. Perhaps they could look at getting McQueen in for assistance, or possibly even Wayne Bennett? Hell it worked for the Kiwis in the Rugby League World Cup!!
mother teresa
Guest
yep a veiled criticism of another wallaby coach.i would have to take bob seriously a very astute coach who has actually won a world cup like mcqueen and eddie almost.good to see not everyone is in denial.
Hoy
Roar Guru
I agree Frank. I was too young, but I have seen "The Rise and Rise of Australian Rugby" and I was particularly interested in the Grand Slam one, when Jones came in. Sure he polarises a few people, but jeez he did a good job there. I don't think he would be afraid to make tough decisions, and suffers no fools.
Frank O'Keeffe
Guest
Dwyer's got an interesting view point. I was reading his website yesterday and he seems to be saying that since Deans has a great record with the Crusaders then this can't be his fault, therefore it has to be somebody else's fault. Strange! I've always felt, talented as Robbie Deans obviously is, that the best man for the job in 2007 was Alan Jones. Australian rugby needed somebody to send a jolt through the side like with what Jones did in 1984. It's incredible if you watch a game involving the Wallabies from 1983 and then look at a game from 1984. They played like winners, believed they were winners, and they were winners. Campese once said the most important thing Jones taught his sides was how to win. This Wallaby side have forgotten to win games it would seem. They should have been able to win those first two Bledisloe Cup games this year, but they weren't good enough at the right stages.