Robbie Deans has offered Rugby Australia some sage advice after becoming the first big name to rule himself out as a contender to replace Eddie Jones as Wallabies coach.
Deans remains Australia’s longest-serving Wallabies coach, having presided over 75 Tests between 2008 and 2013 for a record of 44 wins, two draws and 29 losses.
The New Zealand great also coached the Crusaders to five Super Rugby crowns before enjoying similarly huge success in Japan with the Panasonic Wild Knights.
But after being floated as a candidate to take over from Jones, who dramatically quit this week just 10 months into his five-year deal, Deans on Wednesday said he had no interest in the Wallabies job.
“You don’t go back,” he said after the Wild Knights’ training session at Ballymore ahead of Saturday’s clash with the Queensland Reds.
“It’s never good to go back, I don’t think.
“And you’ve got what you need here. Yeah, you’ll solve it.”
While outgoing All Blacks coach Ian Foster has also been thrown forward as a potential option, Deans reckons Rugby Australia are best off looking in their own backyard for a successor.
Former Wallabies assistants Dan McKellar and Stephen Larkham remain the early frontrunners, but RA chief executive Phil Waugh insists the governing body won’t be making any hasty appointments.
“You’ve got a lot of passionate rugby people, just tap into those that care and you’ll find a way through it,” Deans said.
“Don’t worry about the past. That chapter’s closed, which is probably a good thing. Don’t dwell on it.
“Just keep moving and keep catering for players’ needs and they’ll show them for you.”
Despite the Wallabies slumping to an all-time low No.10 in the rankings after failing to progress out of the World Cup group stages for the first time last month, Deans believes good times are around the corner.
He says the British and Irish Lions touring Australia in 2025 followed by the men’s and women’s World Cups in 2027 and 2029 can serve as massive circuit breakers for the revive the code’s flagging fortunes.
That is, provided RA chief executive Phil Waugh and the board, headed up by embattled chairman Hamish McLennan, learn from their mistakes and get the governance right.
“It’s never as bad as people suggest. It’s never as good as people suggest,” Deans said, almost repeating what Waugh said on Tuesday after formally accepting Jones’ resignation.
“You’ve got a great era coming in the game here. You’ve got a lot of players who want to be part of it and that’s what you feed off.”
Deans wouldn’t be drawn on whether or not RA had erred in bringing Jones back, 16 years after being sacked as Wallabies coach in 2005, to replace Dave Rennie just eight months before a World Cup.
“Look, I’m not passing judgement on any decisions that anyone else has made. It’s obviously a chapter that’s closed, which is probably a good thing,” he said.
“I think there’s been enough about that. Elvis has left the building.”
But the 64-year-old was happy to offer some suggestions for RA and whoever they appoint as next Wallabies coach.
“You turn up for work, think about your players, think about your playing group. It’s a player game,” Deans said.
“There’s not enough people thinking about the fact that it’s a player’s game and not enough people thinking beyond their time, beyond their term.
“Leadership is looking beyond where you are in any given moment.
“You’ve got be building to go somewhere beyond where you are.”
Rolando
Roar Rookie
Haha! Let me count the mirrors in my house…
crumbfingers
Roar Rookie
I have high hopes for Kiss this year, maybe he's an asst coaching option in the years to come. Agree with ajhreds need someone who can oversee the restructure we need, would love to see McLennan fall on his sword and bring in someone who actually has experience restructuring a rugby union. Looking at his recent comments tho I don't think that is on the cards...
Clash
Roar Pro
Ewen Mackenzie
Clash
Roar Pro
Eddie was a disgusting person, Bet you our next coach is mackenzie
Blink
Roar Rookie
I disagree 100%. Financial incentives outside long term contracts make zero difference to professional players. Look at tennis players! They're doing their best on every occasion but if the football coach has failed to inform them what is required they don't know. I saw an an English female soccer player say that coach Sarah Wiegman informed her very clearly what was required of her and if she didn't deliver, she may need to be replaced on the field. That is what players need.
Blink
Roar Rookie
Well you should to. Rugby is less important here than it is to 100% Saffers. Similarly Soccer is 90% more important to Argentinians than Rugby. Australia do well but the current Chair and EJ are and were self-serving and below average in their jobs. They are fixated on media BS and nowhere on performance. McLennan is out of his depth. Knows sweet FA and talks bs as he did at his previous jobs where little boys believed him until he failed to deliver. He will never deliver. The McLennan ego is huge. The ability nowhere! Just look at his record.
Wizz
Roar Rookie
Love Laurie he is quintessential Aussie rugby crossed with Yoda.. But anyone associated with breakdowns in Australia in the last 5 years hasn't done a great job..
Baz
Roar Rookie
yeah because Rugby League coach's know more about rucks.
Baz
Roar Rookie
Had the same thought. I think we get far too carried away with height, weight and physique. Having coached men’s basketball teams for many years I can guarantee that size with out menace and desire is just an empty singlet. At the end of the day I’ll take smaller guys with higher work rate, speed, attitude and endurance. Richie Arnold is a really good example. Ineffective in my opinion. And you are spot on with McDermott. He is 7 foot of heart in a sub 6 foot body. There are only a few Wallabies who display and play to that same level of desperation and desire. Eddie was right on this point (hmmm did I just say that).
In From The Side
Roar Rookie
Mate we all know this. It seems like RA reads from a different book
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
TBH Deans was treated poorly, when dismissed. That alone would be part of the reason, he'd think twice before even taking up the position again. I don't blame him!!
crumbfingers
Roar Rookie
I should clarify, i agree with you its good for raising/maintaining the standard but not necessarily for boosting the win%. Lots of people on this website were quick to quote Rennies win % while they were gagging for EJ.
BleedRedandBlack
Roar Rookie
So first and foremost thanks to the confusion created by the Ronald MacDonald of Rugby, Hamish McLennan, the idea of NZ players being eligible for the AB's from OZ has been transformed into the idea of a player draft, which won't happen. Far too complicated and legally fraught. Even then there is distinct recognition for the possibility of a draft, though I get the feeling that might be a trojan horse for open contracting, which wouldn't be complicated. https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/132278660/were-joined-at-the-hip-nz-players-boss-rob-nichol-embraces-super-rugby-pacific-draft-idea-with-aussies https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/no-engagement-australian-players-want-more-detail-on-super-rugby-player-draft-20230615-p5dgvv.html The point of open contracting from NZR's POV is that it would potentially even out the SRP to a degree by giving Aussie the ability to contract better NZ players at the same price or cheaper, leading to a better comp and a bigger development pool for NZ, so a win/win. Yet given Aussie's move to a centralised player development system under the wildly incompetent RA, you would now have to wonder about the viability
Qualify
Roar Rookie
I said at the top. We're well below at this point :laughing:
Polymath
Roar Rookie
No. The Wallabies haven’t held the Bledisloe Cup for over 2 decades now. ‘A coach’ is not the answer to attaining the unattainable. There is something rotten within Australian Rugby and the Australian sporting psyche. No NZer should show up under this utterly contrived atmosphere of ‘the Wallabies will get better, with the right coach’ and then be made a scapegoat when they don’t. The job is a ‘reputational graveyard’.
Polymath
Roar Rookie
Joe Schmidt and Ireland also. So many NZ coaches have gone overseas and done well.
Cec
Roar Rookie
Some great advice there from Deans about looking beyond your tenure, about being selfless. Unfortunately I’m not sure that is in our culture and it’s more a “win at all cost” for the here and now approach. Have a recent look at our smash & grab leaders Hamish & Eddie; and although not knowing their counterparts at provincial, state and community levels, I’ll hazard to guess the majority are not so dissimilar. This is not to say the right selfless candidates are not in AUS but instead they are just not likely in those seat’s of influence, not enough selfless administrators anyway. I’d rather be wrong on this generalisation, but looking at what’s developed in AUS Rugby over nearly 30 yrs, I’ll bet the parochialism and myopic views stemming from a win at all cost now mentality is at the head of those admin tables & are in part the cause for the demise of rugby here. In part, my view around our culture comes from the reviews of AUS Cricket, Sandpaper Gate, Smith, Warner and some tours/teams previous to that one.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
In ftSide, Look at Mugs’ article from three years ago. Point 1. It’s a players game, fundamentally. Players not executives. And building towards the future, not just a stronger present for the managers. https://www.theroar.com.au/2020/04/24/the-future-of-rugby-union-in-australia/
Joey
Roar Rookie
Yes its on Stan and also being livestreamed on the Red's Youtube Channel.
gatesy
Roar Guru
Anyone know if it's being televised?