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So the knives will no doubt flash in the winter sun as the scapegoaters look through reversed binocular tinted glasses at Robbie Deans and blame him for all the woes and losses of the Wallabies especially now that Australia has lost the British and Irish Lions series.
Hermann Göring, Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain asked his young commander what did he need to win? The reply was “a squadron of spitfires, sir”.
Ask in context the same question of Robbie Deans and his answer is likely to be “fifteen All Blacks, sir.”
I have never believed that the rugby coach (or manager in British soccer football) is ever to blame for the loss of games.
Players are there in that team because they are the best that the coach has available to choose from.
Like spitfires, the players are the best equipment at the time and are selected because of it.
The coach does not teach the player to be a skilled player but to simply relies on players to implement the plan he feels is best for the fifteen players on the field to outscore the opposition.
No coach wins games. It is the players who do that and if they are not dominate in every aspect of their performance; they will be losers to ones who are.
Australian rugby depth is so noticeably poor and there are only a few players who would make it into the top team of other countries. Any coach of a Wallaby team holds a poisoned challis as does any coach of the NZ Black Caps for that matter.
There is heart in every performance of every Wallaby game but heart does not win games over skill, drills, talent and calibre. The Wallabies will continue to be underperforming bridesmaids because they have difficulty understanding that the leading sled dog always gets the best view.
Replacing coaches simply provides more of the same and no doubt there will be a new scapegoat appointed soon. Deans has done no more or less than any past or any future coach will do.
If only there had been fifteen high calibre constantly winning Wallabies over the past year or two, Deans would now be choosing his appointment between Pope and God.
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.