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Deans fights to sway doubters
CARDIFF: Robbie Deans is facing the most difficult week of his coaching career in which he must persuade the Australian Rugby Union and Wallabies supporters he has the complete support of his players and the ability to rid them of their losing mentality.
Although the ARU has said it fully supports Deans as coach and his position is not under threat, it is understood there are concerns he may be struggling to persuade everyone within the Wallabies that he can turn them into a World Cup power within two years.
During Deans's two seasons as Wallabies head coach, the team has experienced a series of dramatic and perplexing lows, including a record 53-8 loss to South Africa in Johannesburg last year, a dreadful effort against the All Blacks in Wellington this season - when Deans accused his side of "giving up" - and now the worst loss in decades, against Scotland at Murrayfield last Saturday.
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Deans fights to sway doubters
The mood of the coach was as gloomy as the weather in Cardiff, with the Wallabies encountering gale-force winds, torrential rain and freezing temperatures. At least Deans was backed by his captain Rocky Elsom, who was similarly at a loss to explain why the Wallabies keep embarrassing themselves.
"I'm struggling to put my finger on what the problem is," Elsom said. "On this tour, I feel that you can't say we haven't done all we could, but there are some issues we need to sort out. And no one in the team will be comfortable until that happens."