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All Blacks encounter nothing personal - Deans
AFP - July 20, 2008, 7:06 pm
PERTH, Australia (AFP) - Robbie Deans said Sunday it will be nothing personal when he coaches the Wallabies against his homeland for the first time in one of the most anticipated Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup Tests in years.
The Wallabies set up a box-office Test duel with the All Blacks in Sydney next weekend with a determined 16-9 victory over world champions South Africa here on Saturday.
Deans, who was rejected for the New Zealand coaching job last year in favour of incumbent Graham Henry, gets his first chance to prove the Kiwis got it wrong after four Tests undefeated as the first foreign coach in charge of the Australians.
Asked if the next assignment was personal, Deans told reporters here Sunday: "No, not at all. It's New Zealand against Australia and honestly it's great to be part of that.
"There will be a piece of me in there in terms of the contest and wanting the group to thrive, but it's team on team."
Deans' intimate knowledge of the All Blacks' strengths and weaknesses, particularly of his former Canterbury Crusaders players, will be a key component in Australia's preparation, but he played it down.
"That's the question isn't it, and how much of that is relevant is the other thing because life moves on," he said.
"They're in a different context, a different group, different methods and they'll also be very aware of what I know of them and they'll be aware that I'm aware of what they know of me."
The Wallabies came through their physical encounter with the Springboks relatively unscathed injury-wise with captain Stirling Mortlock (concussion) and No.8 Wycliff Palu (leg) both expected to play on Saturday.
Lock Dan Vickerman also made it through a weekend club match and could feature.
Deans was pleased with the work of his forwards, particularly the backrow, against the strong Springbok pack.
"They did create enough success around the collisions to get on to the front foot and to create those opportunities," Deans said.
"And there is no short-cut, you can't get by without that.
"The scrum stood up so we had a platform that we could play with and that's what you seek in every encounter.
"(The backs) brought an enthusiasm to play from the start to the end which was going to be a necessity... and that's the only reason they got home."
All Blacks encounter nothing personal - Deans Australian Sport - Yahoo!7 Sport
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