KEY POINTS:
Wallabies rugby great Nick Farr-Jones is staggered by the lingering ill-feeling towards All Blacks coach Graham Henry, and expects many New Zealanders will "death ride" them to lose the Bledisloe Cup test on Saturday.
Australia's first World Cup-winning captain, who played 63 tests from 1984-93, was yesterday confirmed as the 13th inductee into the Wallabies' hall of fame.
He will be officially inducted before the Bledisloe Cup opener here on Saturday night when Robbie Deans coaches against his former team for the first time.
Farr-Jones crossed the Tasman twice this year and was amazed at the continuing backlash to Henry's reappointment at Deans' expense.
"I've never seen anything like that, to the extent that there's quite a few people, in a bar over a beer, who will tell you that they death ride the All Blacks. I never thought I'd hear that in my day - that New Zealanders could actually death ride their team and hope they lose," Farr-Jones said.
"They're well aware that Henry's on a two-year contract, they want to see him go and I think that's a sad thing for the wonderful, proud history and culture of New Zealand rugby, but it shows you the animosity that some people have against the decision."
While Deans has played down the personal aspect of his coaching battle with Henry, Farr-Jones said it was difficult to avoid.
"It's going to be a huge talking point in New Zealand. Unbelievably, you're going to have a percentage of Kiwis supporting the Wallabies for that very reason."
Farr-Jones was impressed by Deans' immediate impact on the Wallabies, who maintained their unbeaten record this year with a 16-9 win over South Africa in Perth last Saturday.
"Not so much on the field, but very much off the field he has made a significant difference to the attitude of the guys, the relaxed nature of them.
"Just about every one of the top half dozen teams would be doing very similar stuff in preparation. It's the hidden things that really make a difference when the whips are cracking; team spirit and the preparedness of individuals to sacrifice for each other.
"Team spirit comes from leadership and from your coaching panel. I suspect Robbie is creating a culture and fabric within the team that is a breath of fresh air for the Wallabies."
But, Farr-Jones would not stick his neck out and tip a Wallabies victory on Saturday.
He felt their young team would hit their peak in two years' time, and were still "third favourites" to win this year's Tri-Nations.
"It'll be tough, but after the weekend in Perth I'd have to say we've got arguably the best defensive team in the world," he said.
"The All Blacks are going to have to be very clever to crack our defence. If you've got the best defensive team in the world then you're right in the game.
"But the All Blacks will have regrouped after Dunedin [loss to South Africa] and will be desperate to win the Tri-Nations; this is a crucial game for them.
"We're right in it, if the boys can bounce back and realise the home games are vital to win if you're going to take some silverware home."
- NZPA
