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Deans targeted as rift triggers clean-out
Greg Growden Chief Rugby Correspondent
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
SERIOUS rifts within the Test coaching and playing ranks have prompted the Australian Rugby Union to intensify its bid to improve a flagging Wallabies culture by having New Zealander Robbie Deans appointed as the next Australian coach.
High-ranking ARU officials confirmed to the Herald last night they knew of, and were deeply concerned, by the reported schisms within the Australian team management.
The issue came to a head when defence coach John Muggleton walked out of the John Eales Medal dinner last week after being snubbed by ARU president Paul McLean in a speech.
The ARU powerbrokers are also aware of an intensifying lack of confidence several key players have towards three members of the coaching staff. They are also concerned with the behaviour of several Wallabies team officials.
The ARU knows of several players lacking respect for important team officials, and is aware that some frontline players do not want to deal with officials in the High Performance Unit.
ARU officials also confirmed that former rugby league great Andrew Johns being involved in Wallabies training has "seriously irritated" one member of the Wallabies coaching staff, who feels threatened. Another concern at ARU headquarters is that, like the 2003 World Cup campaign, Wallabies officials appear to be distancing themselves from the ARU. The relationship between several high-profile Wallabies officials and ARU figures is extremely tense.
This prompted ARU officials to last night tell the Herald that a clean-out of the Wallabies managerial and coaching staff, and a revamp of the HPU unit, is imminent. As well as head coach John Connolly, who is scheduled to depart after the World Cup, other casualties are inevitable.
Although this clean-out is anticipated to happen after the World Cup, which starts on September 8, there are some within the ARU who believe changes could even be made before the tournament because of fears the problems could derail the World Cup campaign.
No matter what, the 2008 Wallabies staff will be vastly different to the one involved in the team's training at Manly Oval yesterday.
ARU chief executive John O'Neill told the Herald that the union was "very keen" to secure the services of Deans. "We need to undertake major cultural change [at the Wallabies]," O'Neill said.
It is known the ARU has recently talked to, or is about to talk to, a number of former Test players including Jeff Miller, Brett Robinson, Rod Kafer and Pat Howard, seeking advice on how to improve the Wallabies structure. Western Force coach John Mitchell may also be involved with the Wallabies if Deans becomes the head coach.
O'Neill told the New Zealand Herald recently that despite Deans signing for another season with the Canterbury Crusaders Super 14 province, he was still looked upon as a serious candidate for the Wallabies position.
The Herald has been told that Deans's renewed Crusaders contract has a get-out clause, which allows him to take up another coaching position following next year's Super 14.
"I would like to think Robbie Deans would be a candidate - he would be outstanding," O'Neill told the NZ Herald. "He has had a long, successful record, he has been there and done that. I think he has got the right make-up, personnel, man-management skills and culture we want to re-establish in Australia.
"If he was our choice, it would not be a barrier for us if Robbie coached the Crusaders in the Super 14, in fact it would be good for him to be ticking over because coaches are like players, they need to keep involved."
Also, in O'Neill's recently published autobiography It's Only a Game, he explains that before departing the ARU four years ago, he wanted to sack George Gregan and Eddie Jones as captain and coach of the Wallabies, and replace them respectively with Phil Waugh and Deans.
Connolly attempted to downplay the rifts, but did admit that the team had two meetings yesterday over the matter.
When asked if there was dissent in the coaching ranks, Connolly said yesterday: "We don't think so. There's always at times creative tensions when you have 45 guys on tour for six months. You're always going to have ups and downs. And we've definitely had some robust discussions."
Asked if the players lacked confidence in the coaches, Connolly said: "Not really. We've never experienced any negative feedback whatsoever, in any great degree. We've got a team meeting this afternoon and the four coaches are all going to get up and have a hug in front of the team. A love-in. We might even do it topless."