Kiwis give Robbie Deans a hero's welcome:

from the Australian - a tale about the flight and reception for Robbie "Dingo" Deans and our own

IN an episode of US sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm, comedian Larry David complains to an air hostess about sitting in the emergency exit seat on the plane, telling her he has to be moved because he is no good in a crisis.

There was no problem with the occupant of the emergency exit seat on the Wallabies' flight from Sydney to Auckland yesterday for the second Bledisloe Cup Test at Eden Park tomorrow night - coach Robbie Deans.

While the players enjoyed the flight in business class, Deans and his assistant coaches Jim Williams and Michael Foley sat in economy. And there's no-one you would want beside you in a crisis more than Deans, the Crusaders coach brought to Australia to turn around the Wallabies' fortunes.

But Deans was more concerned about what he would encounter at the journey's end. The super coach, who was rejected by the NZRU, was taking the Wallabies to play on New Zealand soil for the first time, only days after masterminding a stunning 34-19 upset in Sydney.

Kiwis give Robbie Deans a hero's welcome | The Australian