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Robbie wants Blacks' crown
- Brendan Cannon
- From: The Sunday Telegraph
- October 24, 2010 12:01AM
- 1 comment
Progress ... Wallabies coach Robbie Deans believes he and his team are making good progress in preparation for the World Cup. Source: Getty Images
THE Tri-Nations showed what potential this Wallaby group has, but inconsistencies still plague their performance. Does that frustrate you as a coach?
I think it frustrates all of us. There are elements of progress and our last outing was the most obvious example, which was a game that was within reach but ultimately we didn't win. That's what we desperately would like to do. We've worked hard since then and we appreciate the All Blacks will have as well. They're in no hurry to give up their ranking. We definitely want what they've got and we're working hard towards it.
A lot of people speculate that it's a mental issue for the Wallabies against the All Blacks with this 10-game losing streak. Do you believe that to be true?
No, I don't, but obviously until it's dealt with it will be attributed to many things. We certainly don't want it to go on and we're working hard on the elements of our game. When you say mental, clearly I agree with you in terms of some of the decisions that we've been making. I think we can manage our game better and that's been something we've clearly worked hard on since our last opportunity. I think we're making progress, but we're not there yet. This group's learning. The reality is that the profile of a lot of this group is young and some of them are getting learning experience in the toughest arena.
Do you think in time those lessons from 2010 will be beneficial to Australian rugby?
Absolutely, no doubt. No one arrives as the finished article. Look at the two sides we play the most often. They're evidence of that. The All Blacks and South Africa are the most experienced All Black and Springbok combinations in the history of the game. That's one piece of background that they use to best effect as much as they can. There's no doubt these times of adversity have been challenging, but these learning experiences will become very much part of us and they'll come with us.
Do you believe the growth phase of this youthful Wallaby group will be beneficial with the World Cup campaign 12 months away?
Absolutely. We've got experienced heads on young shoulders. That's just the profile of the best players available right now. And the best players available are younger and we're going through regeneration. But the other fact is that these blokes are the Wallabies. No one cares, including ourselves, how old they are or what their background is. They're it now. And we want everything. We don't want to just be here, we want to do well and win. And while our ranking would suggest we're making progress, we're not satisfied with that. We want more.
Robbie, you're about to embark on a pivotal tour for the Wallabies in what's been a fairly progressive year. Are you looking forward to the tour?
Yes, we're all looking forward to it. We've had a good block of work over the last three weeks and the boys are in good shape and keen to get back out there and go again.
What's Matt Giteau's head space like? Are you comfortable with it?
I'm happy with all the blokes' head space, including Matt. He's got a great work ethic. I know there's been a lot of discussion and a lot of comment around a couple of situations we could have and should have had. But that's part of the territory, I guess, with kicking, and it's an easy one because it's visible. I guess the most obvious example would be the Bloemfontein victory. Everybody gave Kurtley credit for the outcome because he kicked one goal. But the fact of the matter was Matt kicked six out of six. That's part of the reality of being a goalkicker, the whole world sees it. You've got to embrace that, obviously. I can tell you Matt is working really hard, as are a number of blokes. His mindset is really positive and he's looking forward to the tour.
Is goalkicking an issue for the Wallabies?
We have a number of budding kickers, some of whom got some experience this year in Super rugby, and they'll all push on next year and get further experience. I'm talking about players like Quade Cooper, Berrick Barnes, Kurtley Beale and James O'Connor. So we're developing a stable of kickers, so I don't see it as an issue. But obviously to date we've been very reliant on Matt.
You're now three years in to your reign. Are you where you hoped you would be or is there still a lot more work for you and the playing group to do?
There are two things about that. One is you've got to get on and make the most of where you're at, regardless of where that is. There's no point in second guessing too much. Nothing's forever is probably the easiest way to say it. Let's say we were on top of the pile as the All Blacks are, then we wouldn't be arcing up and thinking that was going to last forever because it doesn't. We've just got to keep going and keep adding to what we've got ... do as well as we possibly can.
Dave Pocock capped a magnificent year by winning the John Eales medal. How important is he to Australian rugby's success?
He's been a big part of our recent performances, there's no doubt. For a 22-year-old he's established himself at this level remarkably quickly. He's a big part of us. The good thing is we're developing depth right across the board. Some of that's been forced on us through circumstance with injuries and some of it's been blokes promoting themselves.
With Quade Cooper, there was a lot of speculation with the fiasco of his contract negotiations. Was that frustrating as a coach to try to manage the focus of your playing group while that was happening around you?
One of the elements of a team dynamic is that there's always stuff going on around you. With Quade there was a lot more profile than the norm, but it's part of the territory and while not all of it's public, there are always things going on in any team that has the potential to be a distraction. We put a lot of work in to make sure we do maintain momentum and focus.
As a former player, Robbie, I love the fact that age is not an issue for you. You reward form. Van Humphries, at 34, could become the oldest capped Wallaby since 1932 on this tour.
Absolutely. We're not interested in their age. That doesn't matter. What matters is what they can do and what they do - and Van's a great example of that. He's continued to improve and he had his best Super rugby season to date this year before a setback through injury at the end, which delayed his opportunity here. He's got a great opportunity on this tour and the good thing about having midweek games is that he'll get the opportunity to play, so he will get to press his claims in terms of a Test position.
At the end of November, when the spring tour concludes, what would you think would be a pass mark for this Wallaby group?
Progress. If we keep making progress, we'll get the outcomes we would like.
Is progress consistency for greater periods of the game?
Absolutely. Yep. And better decision making at crucial moments. That probably captures the crux of what's required.
You and I have spoken a couple of times about whether you're enjoying the job. You say it's a great challenge and you love a challenge. Is it still the challenge you thought it would be?
It's fantastic. These blokes care immensely about what they do and desperately want to put the Wallaby jersey right back up there. There's nothing better than working with a group of men who have the same things in mind and they're a quality bunch. There's nowhere else I'd rather be.
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