Deans - "It's not personal"
July 25, 2008 - 8:34am
Story by: ARU
Qantas Wallabies Head Coach Robbie Deans says his personal knowledge of key All Blacks like flyhalf Dan Carter will not be the deciding factor when the Wallabies' meet the All Blacks in the Bledisloe Cup Test in Sydney on Saturday night.
Deans has been fending off questions from across the Tasman all week over whether or not he has given his new team all the secrets on his former Crusaders stars including playmaker Carter.
"They [the Wallabies players] know as much as I know [about the All Blacks players]," responded Deans.
"I mean they play in the same competition [Super 14], all these players are pretty familiar to each other but obviously we've pooled our knowledge and come up with a plan and we'll see how it goes."
The New Zealand media wouldn’t give up and pressed Deans further on his inside-knowledge of Carter. The ever-humble Deans played down his influence despite his long association with one of the world's leading flyhalfs.
"It's a two-way street” he explained, “they (the All Blacks) know a lot about my methods as well and they'll be second guessing that. That's just the game from week to week, there's not a lot of secrets, it's all there for everyone to see."
The Wallabies mentor would also not be drawn on All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen's comments claiming the Wallabies test the limit of the laws at scrum time but he welcomed the added attention surrounding his first meeting at international level with rival Head Coach Graham Henry.
“I coached against him twice at NPC (National Provincial Championship) level in New Zealand in 1997” said Deans, “when Graham was with Auckland and I was with Canterbury.”
Asked about the results Deans demurred: “I don’t want to go there.”
(For the record Canterbury beat Auckland both times, once in the round robin (20-9) and once in the semi-finals (21-15), as Robbie, in his first year as coach, returned the NPC to Canterbury for the first time in 14 years.)
"Anything that generates interest is good” he continued, “all I can assure you from my own perspective which is the only perspective I do know, is that it's something I'm really enjoying and looking forward to.”
One of Deans’ former Crusaders stars who won’t be taking part in the match is All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw, who is still on the sidelines with an ankle complaint. Deans said McCaw’s withdrawal was disappointing for all involved but said the traditional clash is far bigger than any one individual.
"That's a shame really from the game's perspective, these guys love to play against the best and it's obviously a shame from Richie's perspective as well," Deans said.
"Outside of that it's a bit like Stirling [Mortlock's withdrawal], it's not that significant, it's still going to be an epic."
New Wallabies captain, flanker George Smith, echoed his coach's sentiments.
"You want all your best players fit and ready to go and obviously Richie's pulled the pin on that," Smith said.
Smith was also quick to build up McCaw’s replacement, Blues flanker Daniel Braid, who will be playing his first Test since the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
"Daniel’s an excellent player” said Smith, “they'll lose nothing there, I think [he's] a very good scavenger and a very good player around the field so it'll still be a very tough contest."
Smith, who will lead the side for the second time in his 87 Test career on Saturday night, warned his team to get ready for another brutal encounter, after the war of attrition against the Springboks last Saturday in Perth.
"Across the park it's just going to be a high intensity game, we have strike power [and] they have strike power," Smith said. "So it's about matching their enthusiasm and then coming over the top at the end."
