Wallabies focus on 2011 World Cup: Deans

[travelling_gerry]

Wallabies focus on 2011 World Cup: Deans

By Daniel Gilhooly, AAP August 3, 2010, 2:46 pm
AAP © Enlarge photo




Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has declared this year is all about steering Australia towards 2011 World Cup glory and losses along the way will only strengthen his under-fire side.
The Wallabies coach cut a far more relaxed figure on Tuesday than at any stage in public around last Saturday's crushing 49-28 loss to the All Blacks in Melbourne.
Perhaps at ease in his home town of Christchurch, the tense Deans of last week was more forthcoming ahead of the second Bledisloe Cup Test on Saturday, opening up about the pressure on him following eight straight losses to New Zealand counterpart Graham Henry.
Deans also let slip for the first time that his four-year brief is to build a team to peak at next year's World Cup in New Zealand.
Even if it meant losing his job through a string of losses, Deans said he was committed to his chief objective.
"Regardless of the outcome at the weekend, there's no doubt that this time will serve this group well," he said.
"I can tell you that in 14 months, they'll be there (peaking).
"Whether I'm there or not is other people's decisions, it doesn't matter. I'm tasked with getting this group into the optimum state at that point."
Asked if his young and injury-hit team would have what it takes to win a World Cup next year, Deans was more succinct.
"Yes, absolutely."
However, Deans also admitted that breaking their losing streak against New Zealand would be important psychologically.
He and the players felt pressure to do that both for their paymasters and the Australian public but admitted it would be a high mountain to climb.
"Off the back of last week's result, we're a long way away," he said.
"Is there pressure? Yes there is, it's just one of the realities.
"We don't like losing any games. We don't like losing moments in games, let alone whole games... it's never going to be easy against the All Blacks.
"Ultimately, pressure is internal. It's something that the team has to master, in terms of mastering their own emotions."
More than two years of living in Sydney shone through when Deans pointed to where his inspiration came from this week.
The 50-year-old pointed to the achievement of Australian athletics great Cathy Freeman, who was a heavy favourite to win the 400m at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
"The whole nation expected her to get up and... the first questions put to her afterwards was 'how did you deal with it? how did you cope with that pressure?'
"She said 'I simply concentrated on what I had to do'.
"And that's all we can do, in terms of mastering our own destiny."
As usual, Deans and Henry swatted aside questions on Tuesday about any personal rivalry.
Henry acknowledged there was a core of New Zealand supporters - many of them in Canterbury - who believed Deans should have taken charge of the All Blacks after the 2007 World Cup failure.
"And I understand that, he's done a marvellous job for the Crusaders and Canterbury over the years and was a great player who broke all sorts of records," Henry said.
"I totally understand there will be people who think he should have got the job when I was reappointed."
Henry said he has nevertheless always felt relaxed in his old home town, even when he was regularly booed as coach of Auckland teams against Canterbury in the 1990s.
"I loved it. I used to walk out onto the ground to try to excite them. And I got the response I expected," he smiled.
"We used to have a bit of success, if I remember rightly."
Henry reiterated that he had sympathy for the weight he suspected was building on Deans' shoulders.
All Blacks captain Richie McCaw - a long-time disciple of Deans' reign at the Crusaders - sensed interest in the coaching rivalry had waned, particularly over recent weeks as New Zealand's success and expansive playing style have dominated water cooler chats.
"With what the All Blacks have done in the last wee while, people aren't talking about it," he said.
"It's going to be a sellout so people want to come and watch a big Test match, I'd say.
"A lot's made of the Robbie thing but from my point of view and the people I talk to, it's a non-event."

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...rld-cup-deans/

[Burgs]

All Bracks' great Grant Batty rates Robbie Deans best coach in the world

By Jim Morton
August 03, 2010 .

Besieged Australia mentor Robbie Deans remains the best coach in the world and shouldn't be judged on his dreadful trans-Tasman record, according to New Zealand great Grant Batty.

Batty, renowned as one of the All Blacks' toughest wingers, said the ARU would be "foolish" to axe Deans before the 2011 World Cup.

The former Crusaders supercoach is under growing pressure after he led Australia to their eighth straight Bledisloe Cup loss to New Zealand in Melbourne on Saturday night.

ARU boss John O'Neill has said Deans was safe until the end of his four-year contract but underlined the importance of beating the All Blacks.

Batty said it was unfair to blame Deans for the Wallabies' poor record against their powerful rivals.

The Wallabies have been missing close to half of their best 15 and will again meet the All Blacks without eight first-choice players this Saturday in Deans' home town of Christchurch.

Powerful forwards James Horwill, Wycliff Palu, Tatafu Polota-Nau and Ben Alexander are all out for the year as well as tackle-shedding winger Digby Ioane and centre Rob Horne.

"Part of the problem is the personnel," Batty said.

"I think they're playing as good as they can with the people available.

"It just so happens the All Blacks are red-hot. The accuracy of their performances in the first three (Tri-Nations) Tests has been sensational. If you line the two teams up at the moment Australia comes out on top in three, maybe four positions."

Queensland Reds' coach Ewen McKenzie, who led the Reds 2010 revival, and ARU high-performance manager David Nucifora are the two men viewed as contenders for the job.

But Batty, a former Reds assistant coach and Australian U19 mentor, said there was no point sacking Deans.

"Deans is the best coach in world rugby," he said.

"You don't do what he did for the Crusaders without being very smart about the game. What annoys me is you don't have a legitimate contender.

"Ewen has done very well but Queensland snuck under the radar and next year will be the litmus test. If he can do that again next year then I'd be happy to see him appointed."

Deans, who flew into his home town on Monday night, will be aiming to avoid equalling Australia's worst losing streak of nine against New Zealand on Saturday.