With all of the negativity that has surrounded his tenure, I thought I might try and write my view of Robbie Deans the man and his tenure as Wallabies coach.
Robbie Deans is a very typical South Island farmer, so I thought it might do some good to start here to help those who are interested to understand the person behind the role.
The Deans family are steeped in history and legend in the Canterbury region of New Zealand; the Deans Brothers were the first Europeans to settle in the Canterbury region, with the oldest surviving building on the Canterbury Plains the original homestead.
His great-uncle Bob Deans was one of the ‘Originals’, the first New Zealand team to tour the Home Counties in 1905 and had his potentially match-winning try disallowed in the only loss on that tour, against the Welsh.
Born in Cheviot (population 390), Robbie Deans quickly showed the skills and knowledge of rugby that would later see him play 146 matches and score a then-national record 1641 points for Canterbury.
He would play only five Tests for the All Blacks, a fact that galled many Canterbury supporters.
But Deans still had a major influence, scoring 50 points including key goals against the 1984 Wallabies to win second and third Tests.
After a playing career from 1979-1990, he went on to almost instant success as a coach, winning the NPC championship in his debut year, 1997 Canterbury’s first in 14 years. His assistant was none other than Steven Hansen.
Appointed manager of the struggling Crusaders in 1997, they would go on and win two titles before he was made head coach in 2000.
From then until he left to join the Wallabies, the Crusaders would win five Titles and only miss the finals once under Deans.
His Crusaders teams set records for highest score in a match, the most, season, consecutive, and consecutive home wins, most tries in season, highest log points and the only team to not only win every match in one season, but also score 30 points or more in every match that year including the semi-final and final.
Like most South Island farmers, Robbie Deans has always been a man of few words.
But like so many before him, Deans has a very sharp mind and astute understanding of rugby tactics.
A brief history of New Zealand coaches shows this formula has often proven successful and polarising with greats like Grizz Wylie, Laurie Mains and Steve Hansen suffering criticism about coaching styles and communication skills.
This is perhaps the area he suffered most in Australia; the more urban Australian culture often doesn’t gel well with the strong and silent types, with a preference for expression and explanation.
Fans often struggled to understand the direction he was taking their team and vented frustration when it wasn’t along perceived traditional Australian rugby values.
Always a pragmatist, Deans understood to win Test rugby you must first win ascendancy up front and get front-foot ball.
He set about trying to mould the running Australian style with a more hard-nosed pack.
Success would come immediately, winning his first five Tests including one each against the All Blacks and Springboks.
But this would prove to be short lived with a New Zealand team looking for redemption from the 2007 Rugby World Cup failure and featuring many once in a generation players Australia would lose the next 10 fixtures between the two.
It would be this record that perhaps would define Deans coaching of the Wallabies more than any other.
He would coach the Wallabies 18 times against the All Blacks, winning only three.
But it was losses to Scotland (twice) and a rising Samoa (a fate recently shared by Wales, Scotland and Argentina) that caused many of the Wallabies supporters to lose patience long before the fateful final Lions Test.
But to measure Deans on these results alone would be selling both he and the players who served under him short.
During that same period only South Africa have a better record against New Zealand, and England and France are the only other teams to taste any success against the All Blacks.
His coaching tenure also featured some fantastic highlights a Tri-Nations title in 2011, the first since 2001 and only Australia’s third of all time.
The 2011 Rugby World Cup quarter-final against South Africa will go down as one of the greatest backs-to-the-wall performances of any Wallabies team.
A first-ever win at altitude in South Africa, a record win against France, eight wins in a row against three-time Six Nations champions Wales.
He took an ageing team and introduced some brilliant new talent, some of it obvious in Kurtley Beale, Israel Folau and James O’Connor.
But either way the next coach is going to get the benefit of names such as Liam Gill, Michael Hooper, Jesse Mogg, Christian Lealiifano, Cummins, and Benn Robinson, all now with Test experience.
And while some of his controversial selections didn’t pay off (O’Connor) some did.
Deans risked his reputation on Pocock over Smith, and he picked Genia after not even a complete season of starting at the Reds.
His record reads 74 Tests for 43 wins, 29 losses and two draws a win/loss ratio of 59.45 percent.
This compares to Australia’s all-time ratio 50.45 percent, and in the professional era of 64.44 percent.
Against the All Blacks Deans’ record stands at 18 matches for three wins, 14 losses and one draw, a win/loss ratio of 19.44 percent.
Australias’ all-time record against New Zealand is 29.41 percent and in the professional era 31.52 percent.
This has coincided with New Zealand experiencing 10 percent lift in their overall win/loss record as well.
Leave the Kiwis out of it and his record comes in at an impressive 40 wins from 56 matches, or 71 percent.
Rod McQueen’s legendary 79.1 percent was also set during a period when the All Blacks only won 67 percent, a relatively small number.
So perhaps it was his own country that ended up being his downfall.
But failure to beat regularly what will perhaps go down as the best All Blacks side in history, and to be then unlucky enough to face them more often than any other side in history is not a true measure of his abilities or his final success.
Whether any coach could have done a better job is going to be a matter of opinion.
But the challenges he faced – injuries, lack of depth in the two key positions of flyhalf and tighthead prop, a culture of player power, and some questionable player discipline – must be factored in to any consideration.
To Robbie I say well done, and the best of luck in your next coaching venture.
Amani Matamu
Guest
Well done. Nice read. It was a hard time and its good to read it all in facts "should" give the Australian's a perspective on it. But in reality... losing is losing and because Deans is a Kiwi, that will always be the excuse.
Spanked
Guest
Quade Cooper won’t make any difference and the All Blacks will still spank the Wallabies. It’s not the backs that lost the match to the Lions..it’s the forwards !!!
Ben.S
Roar Guru
When is this from?
aussie sports lover
Guest
I totally agree with you on this, Clem. There's an article attached below that talks about Deans and all the behind the scenes work he does for Australian rugby, and to read some of the comments here on the Roar, even those from so-called "gurus" are just disheartening. A snippet of the article is attached below: "Media duties were never Deans' favourite past-time, and it is a shame, because there was a difference between the public and private perceptions of the Kiwi. For all the negatives argued justifiably by his detractors including the criticism he didn't get Aussie rugby - Deans was in fact as a tireless supporter of Australian community, club and bush rugby. He unfailingly offered his time to charity lunches, coaching clinics, schools visits and plain old prize nights, each week, often on a day off. It was not unknown for Deans to lob at training of a third division subbies club, or a bush rugby carnival or preso night, after club officials had sent in a Hail Mary request to the ARU. Deans didn't allow any of it to be spruiked to the media. "It was one of my great frustrations. People didn't feel like they knew him, but he didn't want any publicity," said an ARU media type."
Clem
Guest
Deans absolutely gave his all for the wallabies, anyone that thinks otherwise hasn't a clue. He is a decent man who coached and Australian team the best he could. He isn't the first that has fallen out with the public and won't be the last. Have a bit of class and give the bloke his due. If most of us had to work with some of the complex personalities he did we'd come up well short. Well done Robbie the game and players are richer for the experience.....
Ajax
Guest
Well, one myth needs to be put to bed.. that being a Kiwi had something to do with his sacking. .. bollocks.. we were all doing cartwheels the day he was appointed.. he was without question, the best qualified man in 2008 to take over the Wallabies... his first year went quite well... 09 we ran into a brutal Bokke outfit.. and by 2011 he had won the tri nations for the Aussies for only the third time in 25 years. No one cared where he came from except for a couple of high profile rugby commentators.. the average fan was very happy to have him... and he did quite well for the first few years all things considered. But something went wrong at the RWC 11.. it wasnt only QC that was like a deer caught in the headlights... some of Deans selections baffled supporters at the time.. and that really was the begining of his demise. The Ireland game was a disaster.. no change of game plan.. no intelligent use of the bench.. it was that game that began to raise quesitons about Deans (IMO). The Lions series really was the litmus test for him... and despite the good work he has done (and there has been a lot) this decision to persist with James O'Conner just baffled even his most ardent supporters... Kurtley Beale didnt do him any favours either, missing shots on goals.. dropping or knocking on the high ball... As for the forwards... yep, they are better than they were in 2005.... but in the 5 years in charge, Deans never found a dominant tighthead prop?? and persisted with trying to convert a good loosehead (alexander) into the role??? It didnt work against Ireland in RWC 11... and blind freddy could have told you the Lions were going to try to expose this.. the only suprise is that it took them so long to get on top of him.. it really is a credit to Alexander that he did so well in the first 2 games ;-)
Sylvester
Guest
I wonder whether this Aussie team might end up imitating the post-Deans ABs. He and Mitchell introduced a lot of young players, who went on to become more than handy (Carter, Mils, Nonu, Rokocoko, Mealamu) Ultimately, it didn't bear fruit during their tenure, but def assisted Henry.
Gavin Melville
Roar Pro
Good article, Wal, ana essential part of the funereal closure process. Deans big mistake was to take job in the first place. Not only was he a freigner, he was a Kiwi to boot. And an AB ,,,, Poor sod couldn't win. Strange that, if Australia had won Test 3, Gatland would have his head on a pike. The press hated him for half a week with a vengence after the O'Driscoll dropping. All the vitriol, xenophobia and abuse he received via the papers, TV and social media would have paled into insignificance compared to what would have happened had they lost. Regardless of how well they play, how well the grass roots are tended and how well the system works, if a team isn't winning then the Coach has no chance. Never mind Cooper, Ewen McKenzie has been left the gift of Folau. If he's in the team, the opposition will be worried, regardless of who the rest of the team are.
Gavin Melville
Roar Pro
It's because Deans is a Pantomime Villain. Easy target. He's foreign, prominent and can't answer back. At this point, McKenzie hasn't lost a game.
Simoc
Guest
Nice article Wal. As you can see the main gripe from dingbats is that Deans was supposedly on $1m. My problem is that the team didn't play enterprising rugby under him, and they were boring under Eddie Jones as well. It seems the coach decides if the cattle aren't good enough you've gotta play the odds, which is run one off, kick and chase, keep it safe. Unfortunately the best players here play league and the likes of Smith, Slater, Inglis and Thurston would make this Wallaby side world class alongside Folau & Genia who already are, though a decent front row would be handy.
peterlala
Guest
Wal, I do note you didn't mention Cooper in you article, but the world cup is a long time ago, and Cooper was given a free reign for his mad confrontation with the NZ public by RD. The failings of Cooper during the world cup, can be seated back to his coach. I thought Cooper was foolish. I though that Deans, who knew better, was incompetent, deliberately. Why, is open to debate. I mentioned the Lions, to be current. But you ignore that performance, and refer back to the world cup. I do respect your loyalty to Deans. He may be a hero in the taciturn south island of NZ, but not with me. When you talk perjoratively about Cooper as a "polarising character" who "divides opinion", did it cross your mind that the same is true of Robbie Deans? We will soon see who is right about Cooper. The All Blacks know his game -- and they know how to rattle him. You think he will crumble; I think he will do OK. In fact, with his ability, I hope he goes on to be a great player. That aside, I respect Cooper for growing up -- or appearing to. That's good enough for me.
Jerry
Guest
If the 85 win was unlucky due to missing players, the 86 series win was equally lucky due to missing players and a disrupted squad for the AB"s surely.
jutsie
Guest
I think he tweaked a little too far lol
Wal
Roar Guru
The 95 Wallabies seemed very similar to the 91 AB's guys living off past records. Some of the reports about training regimes from senior players were a joke.
Wal
Roar Guru
The point is he didn't "dial it in" We all collect a pay check some of us just work hard for it. My belief is Deans tried his best for Australia.
KiwiDave
Roar Guru
Check the Wallabies home and away records. They have always been a team that struggled to play at a high level outside of Australia. It is something like a 40% dropoff in winning rates for home versus away
aussie sports lover
Guest
When I imply your views are extreme, it is not unlike many on this forum, only wanting to see the negatives and never acknowledge that Deans did some good. You say his mistakes are consistent - I would argue that his successes are inconsistent. Choosing JOC is a mistake, choosing Folau is not. Getting thrashed by the All Blacks during his reign is bad, but it's a world cup winning side, one of the best AB side and RD achieved superiority over the Boks, hardly a mistake. He made mistakes, had some successes, that's all it is.
kurt
Guest
coopers a joke
SandBox
Guest
"He took on the job with the obvious aim of working us over at the RWC in NZ. He stood in the stands arm in arm and belted out Advance Australia Fair as though he meant it" Exactly what a good double-agent would do. You guys owe him for an easy SF at the RWC where our strategy was clearly poor, and renewed interest in the next Lions tour which happens to be in NZ. Daniel Craig even asked Robbie to appear in the next Bond movie. Robbie to appear in Red 3. A new Bourne as Renner's father? Coming to a cunema near you...
AdamS
Roar Guru
He wasn't a volunteer, he gave his all for a very big pay packet. Why make it out to be a sacrifice?