I’m seeing some interesting things in the tea leaves, lately. Robbie Deans has all the hallmarks of a man who has been recruited by the ARU for a long term plan.
Not just to establish ourselves now, and not just to win tournaments, for if that were the case, maybe we would have been more desperate to show improvement during the Rugby World Cup.
Over the last, say, ten weeks or so, Robbie Deans has not looked like a man desperate to win the RWC at all costs.
Indeed, there were some pretty puzzling selections and decisions, made, weren’t there?
No Giteau in the RWC squad – no back up no 7, which nearly came a cropper.
Nobody really took Quade Cooper by the coat tails and helped in his “hour of need”.
Looking back on it, it’s as if Robbie is a protected species, and maybe that’s what was always intended.
Is it too much to think that the powers that be took the view that we might or might not win the RWC, but that that was not the main game?
As Rugby now has to find more ways to be profitable on the world stage, moves into Asia, moves into North America, NZRU teaming up with North American franchises, the prospect of Rugby in the Olympics where previously unknowns will start to throw serious money at the game ….well, maybe that frightens the likes of Australia and NZ.
One of the opening salvos in that campaign was lobbed during RWC when NZ complained about the cost of mounting a campaign, and the ARU jumped right in behind them, with almost indecent haste.
You would love to be a fly on the wall in John O’Neill’s office, at least when he is having closed door sessions with Robbie. Not much of this would be minuted, because the ARU would probably leak like a sieve.
So, if my theory is right, I take my hat off to the ARU for bravery. If you think about it, we have been living on borrowed time for years with a squad of brilliant players most years, but not a lot of depth behind them. This smacks of an attempt to build that depth, which is a move designed for the long term.
For instance , why has Robbie left it so long to bring James O’Connor into the midfield? His comments yesterday suggest that O’Connor, despite his immense talent, still has a lot of development to go through.
He suggested that Tapuai is a successor and cover, despite Horne and Faingaa only just beginning to settle into those spots, a typically evolutionary process, not one driven by panic or pragmatism.
The old guard has moved on, at least in the backs. Sharpie and Vicks are needed because where are their replacments. All the up and comers are still too young.
Why has he left it for so long to involve Berrick Barnes in his best position, which, patently, is no 10?
Why did we take three halves to the RWC and we are now talking about Lucas being the back up?
And importantly, when will the ARU start to put the same kind of serious effort into the forwards as they do with the backs?
It all points to another couple of years of development, and the only conclusion is that we are building for evolution and consistency, and depth, like they have in NZ, not winning cups every four years by taking pot luck.
This RWC we were shown up by NZ who oozed depth, and they are a country one fifth the size of us, Nobody is suggesting that we can improve by a factor of five, but maybe one and a bit is possible? Hopefully we now realise why Robbie seems to have such an armchair ride.
Just hope we can put down a few markers along the way and not always be evolving. The fans like their team to win occasionally.
sledgeandhammer
Guest
Reading the comments on this article made me think of the hamster wheel and the anus-cam. Seriously, some of you guys have to stop looking in the mirror and get a life. Thank God your opinions are limited to this anonymous site and don't have any influence in the real world! And for the record, I support Deans.
peterlala
Guest
Another Deans reject will get the chance to show his wares. Sterling Mortlock -- dropped as captain, then dropped altogether. He is playing for the Barbarians against the Wallabies later this month. It's a shame Matt Giteau isn't joining him. Then, perhaps, a few arguments about coaching and dead wood could be tested.
Kane
Guest
Although Ewen never coached the All Blacks in a provincial competition either
Mike
Guest
How was it a "cr*ppy job"? I can see a case for replacing Deans with McKenzie. But I am not naive enough to think that McKenzie is *guaranteed* to do better, no matter how good his record in S15 has been. And I want to view Deans' record dispassionately. When you sit back and look at things objectively, its not noticeably worse than his predecessors. So why do you call it "cr*ppy"?
Mike
Guest
"So, now we’ve got the bronze medal and are number three in the listings." What listings are you referring to? If you mean the IRB rankings, I suggest you actually read them. We are No 2, and well clear of the No 3 (France). Australia was No 4 when Deans took over. Those rankings were started 8 years ago, and Australia has never been No 1. As for the bronze medal in RWC, you may have forgotten, but last RWC we didn't even make the semis. "There is no grand strategy in place to pave the way for the Wallabies of the future" That is not the coach's responsibility. I suppose in a way you could say it is *partly* the Wallaby coach's responsibility. Yet you blame only the coach. Why? "And nothing will change until the coach is replaced." Given that nothing has changed under the last three coaches, from where do you get your blind faith that changing the coach will make any difference? If you are going to criticise the Wallaby coach, at least criticise him for the right reasons.
Geoff Brisbane now California
Guest
So I was thinking, I do a cr*ppy job and get an extension right??? So who gave that to me and why???
Krasnoff of Noosa
Guest
More platitudes and excuses. There is no grand strategy in place to pave the way for the Wallabies of the future, so that they are able to compete with a wider range of international teams. Get real. The best side is the ABs. They have the skills, ticker and desire to win every time. Until very recently, the Wallabies were the number two side. So, now we’ve got the bronze medal and are number three in the listings. And the spin doctors would have you believe that the Wallabies have done well! The truth is: Deans lacks the leadership to bring out the best in Australian sides. He picked the wrong side for the last WRC and his bench placings were woeful. Under him the whiz kids showed little structure, basically playing on whim—hence the roller coaster ride. And nothing will change until the coach is replaced. By the way, O’Neill showed a lack of wisdom prematurely re-signing Deans before the end of the RWC and should also be given the axe.
gatesy
Roar Guru
The article was not meant to postulate that Robbie Deans is the saviour of Australian Rugby, only that the ARU if finally giving someone some leeway, His reputation at the Crusaders preceded him, so it was fair to assume when he came onboard that he could be that guy. History might prove otherwise, but at the time it was probably a fair call.
gatesy
Roar Guru
...unless he was given some sort of guarantee which was the original point of my article.
Geoff Brisbane now California
Guest
So who hired HIM????
Touko
Guest
Excellent post jeznez.
Touko
Guest
Yeah, I wish that too. He runs hards, passes fairly well, tackles brilliantly, goes hard all day. Sadly not quite good enough to be a test hooker. Would have been good to see him on the field against Ireland as he would have added starch to the forwards. (Though now I remember how badly TPN played that day, maybe Fainga'a should have played hooker and TPN as 7?!)
Patonga
Guest
Johnyboy... i am unsure but i think Ewen was the brains behind us running at the Allblacks in the semi final in Sydney in the 2003 world cup... that was one game we did win. this could be a reason Deans has not asked Ewen for HELP....
jeznez
Guest
Mike, the promotion of Horwill is an interesting one - I wrote a piece on the day he was announced and I stand by my comment from then: "I think Blind Freddy should have been able to pick Horwill as captain at the start of this season. The right decision made late is better than not making the decision at all, well done Deans for making the call." Well done Deans for promoting Horwill to the captaincy but why did he name Elsom as captain at the start of the season and then need to change him later?
Mike
Guest
Really, J-B. You had decided long before that game that Deans was the sole problem with the Wallabies. You were going to make anything you saw fit that prior assumption. To an objective observer, the game at Suncorp demonstrates nothing more than what we knew already: The Wallabies on their day are capable of upsetting the All Blacks. But without consistently strong forwards, we will never do this on a regular basis. Whilst I generally agree with Jeznez' assesment, I would also add the promotion of Horwill as captain to the positive side of Deans' ledger.
johnny-boy
Guest
One of reasons I am convinced Deans is the problem is that performance at Suncorp, at least the 1st half. Australia had a new captain and after the depressing undeserved leadership, or lack thereof ,of Elsom, the players were excited. Excited not having to get all depressed about Elsom's mood and excited about getting a captain who was obviously a no holds barred goer. And Deans had not had time to depress Horwill as captain and the players with his droll mono dribble. On that day Australia had the players, they had the drive, they werent wishy washy or aimless, it was a joy to watch. Wow said Thelma. There would have been many a kiwi freaking out that the Wallabies had finally found their mojo. But it's been downhill from there. We obviously have the players but they equally obviously just dont want to perform to their potential under Deans.
johnny-boy
Guest
Reasonably fair faint praise Jeznez. I cant say I agree with his role in player development. I think his game style, whatever the hell it is, is holding them back significantly imo. And pretty well anything would be better than what Jones and Connolly dished up.
jeznez
Roar Guru
ps and whether this 3Ns was a 'real' competition or not at least we won it again for the first time in forever.
jeznez
Roar Guru
I'd start with the scrum, there has been a definite improvement and renewed focus in this area. The improvement may not be all the way to where we want it to be but we are definitely better than we were. It took Deans a while but he dropped Baxter, appointed Noriega as a specialist scrum coach and has started national scrum sessions a couple of times per year. I'd like him to blood more front rowers rather than persisting with the ones he is currently focussed on. As I say not where I want it to be but lightyears ahead of where it was. Secondly I think he has developed some young super stars. Pocock, Genia, Beale and O'Connor in particular and Cooper if he learns to tackle, underplay his hand and gets his confidence back (that last may be wishful thinking but I hope not). You can perhaps say he has been lucky to find these players but I think his role in developing them as internationals shouldn't be glossed over. Thirdly and this will be a little wishy washy but I think the style of the Wallabies play has improved - I don't really like "play whats in front of you" but I think most of the teams performances are better than the robotic play that we saw under Jones in particular and Connoly to a lesser extent. I love that he is pushing the players to be involved in things outside of rugby, particularly charity. This isn't front page stuff - look at me I am doing good in the community. Rather he has told the players to get out there and do good things because they should be doing them. He deserves credit for keeping us at the 2/3 world ranking while overseeing a generational change in his players. Although ranked 2 in the world the team were the youngest at the world cup, take Samo, Sharpe and Vickerman out of the equation and we would have been even younger. Maintaining our ranking while bringing the young guys in is not to be sneezed at. There are plenty of things I don't like as well. I hate his persistence with players I don't think are up to it and that sometimes he needs his hand forced by injury to make changes that seem obvious, I think he is terrible at managing his bench, think he shows little ability to get the team to change tack during a game and cannot believe that he allowed the Wallabies to employ the Waratahs static forward hit up method of retaining possession. I worry that under pressure he seems to freeze and make no decisions or changes. There are plenty of things on both sides of the ledger with this guy. If he can improve on the things I don't like then I think he is the man to lead the Wallabies for the next couple of years. I'd prefer it if the decision to keep him was being made as part of an off-season review rather than having been inked before the world cup but there are pluses and minuses to that decision too.
flying hori
Guest
You got you keep him. It was a devilous ploy by the NZRFC to off load him to Aus. O'Neill fell for it hook line and sinker!