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SYDNEY - An Australian bookmaker has halted betting on Robbie Deans becoming the new Wallabies rugby coach, such is his overwhelming favouritism.
As Deans prepared to be interviewed for the job in Sydney, Lasseters Sportsbook called 'no more bets' after a steady stream of money for the Crusaders supremo.
Lasseters opened Deans at A$1.50 last Friday after he missed out on the All Blacks coaching job, with Blues coach David Nucifora at $3 and Alan Jones at $5 the next most favoured.
"He'd come in from A$1.50 to A$1.35 but on Saturday we had a couple of thousand in bets from New Zealand and that was enough for me," spokesman Gerard Daffy told the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
"There was obviously good mail and he is clearly a red-hot favourite. He'd be at A$1.01 now if it was still running."
Meanwhile, the Australian rugby media continued to throw their support behind Deans' appointment, which is expected to be confirmed at the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) board meeting on Thursday and Friday.
Veteran Sydney Morning Herald journalist Phil Wilkins said Australian rugby should accept the "gift pass" thrown by the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU), who reappointed Graham Henry.
"Deans will be the best thing to happen to rugby in Australia since Carlos Spencer's cutout pass to Stirling Mortlock's chest in the 2003 World Cup semifinal," Wilkins wrote.
"... The archly conservative Kiwis never gave John Mitchell a second chance after the 2003 World Cup.
"But now New Zealand have handed us their best young coach, a four-times winner of the Super 14.
"Sign up Deans and be grateful. And forget the narrow-minded notion that it is unpatriotic to have a New Zealander in charge of the Wallabies."
Former Wallabies lock Peter FitzSimons has said it will be "a black day for the sport" if Australia accept a man rated second best by their arch rivals, while former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones yesterday questioned Deans' passion for the job, given his first choice was to chase the All Blacks' job.
- NZPA
