Deans keeps cards close to chest on Smith's role against All Blacks

Greg Growden | October 26, 2009


TOKYO: Australia's most capped forward, George Smith, remains in the mix to start against the All Blacks.

Several hours after Wallabies coach Robbie Deans arrived in Tokyo, he was probed by the Japanese media about numerous selection issues, in particular whether Smith might miss out on the Test, and that his back-row spot would be taken by David Pocock.

This follows Smith running with the B team during training in Sydney last week, while the A team, which was assumed to be the line-up to start against the All Blacks, included Wycliff Palu, Pocock and Rocky Elsom.

However, Deans kept the issue dangling last night when he explained that the Tokyo crowd would see Smith on Saturday night.

Although this was not a ringing endorsement that Smith would start, and could easily mean he is on the bench, it still indicates that no matter what, one of Australia's greatest forwards will be handed a considerable role in this Test.

Apart from his lesser role at training, Smith's starting position became clouded after he was replaced by Palu in the 68th minute of the Wellington loss, even though he was the Wallabies skipper that night. It is not often a Test skipper is replaced by the coach because he is looking for more impact.

There was speculation Smith would instead captain the B team on the grand slam tour, starting with the Gloucester game on November 3, but the midweek skipper's role might instead go to someone the Wallabies management wants to blood as a future leader.

After several strenuous weeks of training camps in Sydney, Deans decided to give the players the past three days off, allowing them to spend yesterday afternoon sightseeing around Tokyo.

Several players and members of staff travelled to Tokyo on Saturday, and attended a local rugby match.

Training will resume this afternoon, but Deans said the practice will not get serious until tomorrow, shortly before the Test team is announced.

''The morale in the team is really good, and lately they have worked really hard,'' Deans said.

''They know they have a fantastic opportunity ahead of them.
''The good thing now is that the work's done, and it's now about pulling back and binding.''

The first press conference of the tour ended with Deans getting a round of applause from the Japanese media contingent, with several of them then having their photograph taken with the visiting coach.

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