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AAP, The West Australian September 22, 2009, 6:31 pm
Former World Cup-winning coach Bob Dwyer has accused Wallabies assistants Jim Williams and Richard Graham of not doing their jobs, while questioning why Western Force pair Richard Brown and Pek Cowan are in the Australia side.
The Wallabies continued their woes in the Tri-Nations by capitulating 33-6 to the All Blacks on Saturday night, their sixth straight loss to New Zealand.
Since making the 2003 World Cup final, Australia have managed just ten victories from 30 matches in the competition and Dwyer believes there needs to be an urgent focus on teaching players the fundamentals of the game.
"I can't believe that Robbie Deans is not a good coach but equally I can't believe that his coaching staff are doing the job," Dwyer told AAP.
"If they are doing the job, there would be results showing.
He also had little time for some of the selections made during the international season.
"I would say the same about the selectors, some of the selections beggar belief," Dwyer said.
"Who in their right mind ever thought that Richard Brown was a better footballer than Wycliff Palu. What element of his game is better?
"Whoever thought Pek Cowan, who I think is a talented youngster, who thought at this stage of his development that Pek Cowan is an international prop?
"There is no part of his game that is up to international standard, not one single part of his game."
Deans was labelled as the saviour of Australian rugby following his signing before the 2008 international season.
But even the super coach at the Crusaders has struggled to spark the Wallabies, they have won four of 12 Tri-Nations matches under him and dropped five of their past six.
The last time Australia had such a bad run was under Eddie Jones before he was sacked at the end of the 2005 season.
Deans is also part of Australia's selection panel with Williams and high performance manager David Nucifora holding the other spots.
Dwyer, who guided the Wallabies to glory at the 1991 World Cup, believed plenty of talented players were still being produced, such as Matt Giteau, Berrick Barnes, George Smith, Rocky Elsom and Tatafu Polota-Nau.
But he said players were falling short in fundamental areas of the game.
"I can't believe that those players have produced those sorts of things at training and not been able to produce them in a game," he said.
"I keep quoting Les Kiss (defence coach), `we have to do the fundamentals so many times and execute them so many times that they become part of our DNA'.
"The fundamentals must become part of your DNA so that you virtually can't do them incorrectly."
Australia's dire showing meant the national side went tryless in consecutive matches against the All Blacks for the first time in almost half a century.
Former Test flanker Simon Poidevin said the Australians desperately needed to lift at the breakdown against the All Blacks in their next meeting on October 31 in Tokyo.
"Our Achilles heel right now against the All Blacks is the intensity at the breakdown contest, that is where they have got us every time over the last two or three years and that is where the side really needs to focus on its improvement," he said.
My God, I never thought I'd lift Simon Poidevin up as an example of dispassionate discourse against Bob Dwyer.
Does anybody have the full text of Bob's Comments, because I'd like to see if the anti-Force bias is a press thing or if he actually alid all the blame at the feet of Force Personnel.
A couple of points.
1) Ripper! it appears Jimmy Williams is now a Force Man, given the wonders he's worked with the Wallaby scrum in the wake of the Foley crapfest we're sure to smash other teams in the scrum this year.
2) Who thought Brownie was a better footballer than Cliffy? anybody who'd seen Cliffy 'playing' in a big game. OK Brownie wasn't up to the task either this year and George Smith seemed to be a better option, but Browny still ranks above Cliff IMHO.
3) I'd have to say, Richard Graham seemed like a bit of a coup when he was signed, but I've seen some of the Wallabies skill set and wonder if he's all that good as a skills coach? possibly it's not so much the coaching staff, but the attitude of the team towards being coached. I have nothing to base this on, but I know there are multiple factors involved in the teaching/learning relationship. To place everything at the feet of the coaches is unrealistic.
4) Pek Cowan, who thought he was ready for International rugby? NOBODY, but he seems to have stepped up and helped to fix the Wallabies scrumming woes. You could say the same for Ben Alexander at tighthead.
C'mon the![]()
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This is a "rich" article.
After Brisbane the Wallabies were being touted as the next best thing since sliced jam, one week later after a horror match against the All Blacks they are the worst, but better than this Richard Brown appears to be an instigator, yet he was thousands of miles away in Perth during the game, Pek Cowan played all of ten minutes and this when the game was done and dusted.
Come on now!!!, the Force are now established and here to stay, get rid of this biase.
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Simon Cron: “People talk about winning and losing all the time and they are critical, but there’s a process to get into and it’s the ability to stay present, do your job and execute skills under pressure.”
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
Dwyer is a dickhead, Im trying to work out where he is coming from. Is he trying to imply that the selection of cowan and brown cost us the tri nations, or is he trying to say that deans is a good coach but his selections and support staff are crap.
Who gives a crap what Dwyer thinks anyway, I certainly hope Deans and co dont.
Both Cowan and Brown were selected on their performances during the S14 and deservedly so. Their time with the wallabies is invaluable as far as their development goes and since there is no longer an Aus 'A' squad how else are they suppose to develop to the next level.
You have to feel sorry for these guys to be unfairly targeted in the media in this way.
I thought Noriega was the wallabies scrum man
He's right though. No way did Cowan or Brown deserve their spots. What we really need is some more Waratahs in the squad. I mean Cowan and Brown are useless. Did you see that Force v Tahs game this year. Palu and Baxter owned god those two shouldn't even be playing Super 14. Maybe we should move the Force to Western Sydney. That would make the players better. Ohh and make Dwyer the coach. 10 man rugby anyone?![]()
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
I thought you are western Sydney but based in Perth? with a few QLD mercenaries in the mix + 1 japie...