Australian Rugby Union chairman Michael Hawker has made a passionate defence of the Wallabies’ season ahead of a make-or-break year for coach Robbie Deans.
Deans may struggle to push on beyond his contract which finishes in 2013 following a season in which the Wallabies dropped from second to third in the world rankings and played a brand of rugby which delivered just 15 tries in 15 games.
Hawker admitted 2013 shaped as a significant year for Deans and the Wallabies, with the three-Test British and Irish Lions’ Australian tour the biggest indicator of success in the coming 12 months.
“I think for coaches every year is make or break,” Hawker said on Tuesday.
“That’s the nature of coaching. I don’t think Robbie takes anything for granted.
“For us, I think everyone in the Australian public is pretty keen to win all the games.
“So is Robbie, and he’ll do the best he can to do that. In the board’s view we’ve got every chance of defeating the Lions next year.
“Next year is a huge year. (The Lions tour) always creates a huge wave of anticipation in this country, seeing the best of the northern hemisphere come here.
“We’re pretty keen to try and thump them.”
Despite the Wallabies’ dour playing style it hasn’t hampered participation rates across the country, with the ARU announcing on Tuesday a fourth consecutive year of growth – with player numbers totalling 323,115 in 2012.
Hawker said it was unfair to criticise the Wallabies simply on their record of nine wins, five losses and a draw – pointing to the unprecedented number of injuries which rocked the national team this year.
Playmakers Will Genia, Quade Cooper, James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale all missed significant portions of 2012, as did skipper James Horwill and world-class flanker David Pocock.
“From the Australian Rugby Union we’re happy with where the Australian team is. We’d like to have less injuries and I think if didn’t have as many injuries we’d have been right up the top,” Hawker said.
“You’ve got to put the Wallabies performance in context with how many injuries we’ve had.
“We’ve had 55 people play for the Wallabies this year which is a pretty broad number of players and so we’ve had an unusual level of injury rate.
“You look at some of the international teams (and) if you took Carter and Richie McCaw out in New Zealand you have a different proposition.”
So severe was the injury crisis Hawker revealed it had prompted an internal investigation, the result of which was a new process to handle injured players.
“We’ve actually just approved a better player management process between the Australian Rugby Union and the Super Rugby franchises to make sure that a player’s welfare is managed right collectively across those two levels of the game,” he said.
Chivas
Guest
A couple of small points. It was a cheap shot by Gatland and he has his own agenda. But that said I thought it was a fair comment. You know with Deans he does have an idea and is not clueless, but I would love to see a review of his decisions to get some insight. I guess that would just be fodder for the haters, but it would be interesting to get an insight into how they arrive at their decisions. As I've mentioned he has been successful with Carter, Mehrtens, Spencer... so I'm not sure what his thoughts were around this. Is Barnes field kicking better than Quades. I know Quade struggles sometimes but Barnes had some pretty low patches too with the kicking.
PeterK
Roar Guru
This one is for RA. Gatland an INTERNATIONAL COACH criticised Deans for his use of Cooper Gatland said Deans muddled the Wallabies' style during the Rugby Championships and should have used Cooper in an attacking role and Berrick Barnes with a conservative game plan. "One of things I was surprised at this year was during the Rugby Championship, the first game they played against the All Blacks they played Barnes at No.10 and ran the ball," Gatland told the Daily Telegraph. "Then the following week they brought Cooper in and kicked everything. I thought they got that the wrong way around. "Why one week try to move the ball from your own 22 against the All Blacks with probably not the same personnel, then the following week (against South Africa), when you've got a player who can potentially do it, you play a kicking game?" Read more: http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/wallabies/british-and-irish-lions-coach-warren-gatland-says-wallabies-rival-robbie-deans-misused-quade-cooper/story-e6frf55l-1226537341163#ixzz2FCywrsYd
Chivas
Guest
You can agree all you like with Red Kevs monologue, but the fact remains... Deans came in when Wallaby rugby was one small step away from the toilet. No respect for the jumper, no playing for your mates, no respect for your team or your team mates, no skills... In short high on self belief and low on ability to execute as a well worked team. Deans bought maturity and real self-belief to the side. I know Red Kev thinks Nathan Sharpe did it all and Deans is a bystander. I'm sure Robbie doesn't talk to the team or have a plan. He is really stupid and is new to coaching. Why even Red Kev knows how it should be done. Problem you have. Link hasn't shown much maturity the way he has politicised the Quade Cooper situation. So not convinced he is going to bring a lot in the way of integrity or maturity. Absolutely no evidence he would provide more to the team. Jake White is a good fit for the Wallabies style. And Chieka who hasn't even coached a game.... This team is starting to back themselves. If you think it's got nothing to do with the coach... Well I just wasted my time writing anything.
linz22
Guest
I have to suport Red kev on this one; i honestly cant see any positive to keeping Deans on, under him the players play worse than they do for their clubs and if he had any decency he would fall on his sword because the wallabies have been going backwards under him in everything but the world ranking. i can just imagine him mumbling a bunch of theoretical crap at half time while the players are standing around wondering what the hell he is going on about. never have i seen the wallabies come out after half time with a change in the game plan or looking really fired up, have to wonder if he is even in the dressing rooms.
barbz
Guest
I disagree. Red Kev is like the Quade Cooper of Fans. At Super level he is without peer but he struggles to perform at international level under Robbie Deans.
Justin2
Guest
I think you maybe overstating the importance of super form, after all you continue to tell us it's a different game. Considering its a different team with different combinations, tactics and coaches, how relevant is provincial form from 4 months ago?
mark
Guest
yes because the super xv franchises in australia absolutely killed them this year. it makes perfect sense for the wallabies to be no 1?????
Halleys Comet
Guest
Classic RK, "a poor caricature of Scotland" GOLD, and please keep giving Mark, Ra, KPM and the other RDs apologists grief.
soapit
Guest
i'd even throw england in there, havent always had the best of times but theyre the other team thats regularly in our "tier"
Justin2
Guest
And a points differential of -73 and a try differential of something like negative 9! We arent far away though because these days you dont need to score more than 1 try per match, defence is so good you are better to play stodgy rugby with a narrow attack... :)
Funk
Guest
Exactly PK, that works out to a winning percentage against the other 3 teams in the top 4 (this year) of.......wait for it.....16.6667% P!ss poor. That in itself should end a coach's reign. Eddie Jones would have been crucified for that kind of percentage. I have absolutely no doubt at all that any one of the roarers(even the kiwi roarers:)) on here, if they had the wallaby coaching gig this year, could have got a 16.6667% win ration out of that group of Wallabies!
Red Kev
Guest
The Reds are paying Cooper half of that and no-one is out of pocket because he is worth more than that in increased membership fees all by himself before even taking into account gate revenue. He may not be god's gift to rugby but he is certainly heaven sent for revenue raising in Queensland. He's also better than every other possible flyhalf in the country.
Jutsie
Guest
1.5 out of 6 :D
Funk
Guest
Yeah but look a him now that he's been down there for donkey's years....mad as a cut snake!!!
Red Kev
Guest
You know, Darth Vader gets a bad rap but I like the guy, or at least I did until Hayden Christensen started playing him.
Justin2
Guest
Not just 1/6 PK, they were smacked 3 times at least as well!
Justin2
Guest
gold!
Justin2
Guest
Genia was horrendous in that semi too, yet its cooper copping all the flack, oh and the forwards who were belted form pillar to post, no mention of them?
Justin2
Guest
LOL, cheers mark
Jutsie
Guest
I can think of two kiwi posters that may or may not be the same person they seem to always pop up next to each-other agreeing on every topic, one with a name beginning with R, the other beginning with L