Rugby: Deans must manage men

Robbie Deans has been accused of coaching in a New Zealand style. Photo / Getty Images

The one certainty accruing from the Wallabies' troubled tour of Europe is that Robbie Deans isn't going anywhere. Yet.

In circumstances where the first reaction is often to howl for the head of the coach, Australia's media and rugby fans have been strangely tolerant of the concept of Deans remaining in his job.

The fingers have been pointed far more often and vigorously at the players.

In some respects, they brought that on themselves. This is the bunch, remember, who wanted extra pay for a Probables-Possibles match organised by Deans as an extra selection trial before the now-debunked Grand Slam tour.

Understood to have been driven by senior Wallabies, the players wanted an extra A$2500 for the match - which was then cancelled.

That came after a poor Tri Nations campaign where the Wallabies lost all their matches against the All Blacks and most of the rest - although they did, once, beat the series-winning Springbok team.

Respected Australia rugby media like Greg Growden and Wayne Smith, among others, have written either scathing pieces about the players or deeply concerned articles unable to tell why the Wallaby malaise is happening. One of the few to point the finger at Deans has been former Wallaby coach Eddie Jones.

He accused Deans of coaching in a New Zealand style, saying: "We have lost our distinctive Australian style of play, which is a bit of a problem. I think Robbie is going to have to change his ways a little bit and rethink the way the attack functions. This wide, deep, lateral attack doesn't suit Australian players."

Jones was the man Deans succeeded as coach after one of the worst prolonged spells of embarrassing losses in Australian rugby history, seven out of eight.

The loss against Scotland - when the Wallabies had towering superiority in possession and position - exposed the threadbare nature of Australian rugby stocks. It also showed that Southern Hemisphere sides (the All Blacks also aren't travelling so well on attack) are struggling with the way the sport's daft rules allow well-organised Northern Hemisphere defences to be heavily influential.

This is a list of world-class players not in the Wallabies for various reasons: No Nathan Sharpe, no Stirling Mortlock, no Lote Tuqiri, no Berrick Barnes, no Stephen Larkham, no George Gregan, no Chris Latham, no Phil Waugh, and, for large parts of this tour, no George Smith as his place has often gone to up-and-coming flanker David Pocock as part of the building process.

They are missing several top locks. They still have no depth at prop beyond Benn Robinson and Ben Alexander. Matt Dunning is still in the 35-man squad. Matt Dunning! There's nothing wrong with Matt Dunning except, maybe, that a dingo stole his talent.

This is not to make excuses for Deans. Yes, the Wallaby players clearly have issues. They may well be suffering from an inflated sense of self-importance or, more likely, a sense that they cannot be dispensed with, thanks to Australia's lack of depth. Deans can't keep biffing people out of the team or he'll be reduced to wearing a sandwich board and walking round Bondi, looking for conscripts and tempting them with free jellybeans.

Part of being a test coach is man management and senior Wallaby players have always been opinionated and influential.

Deans has reportedly had run-ins with players over Tuqiri's "dismissal" from the Wallabies. Matt Giteau, who missed the kick that would have won the game against Scotland was piqued not to have been named vice-captain and there were reports of strain between he and Deans even before that.

Deans' relationship with Giteau, the Wallabies' best player, is said to have improved but questions remain about his ability to harness his senior players and, now, to shed what has become a losing mentality cushioned by fat salaries and the knowledge that there isn't anyone else pushing them hard.

The media and others leaving Deans be at present have softer targets in the players. They may also be waiting to see what the Svengali of Australian rugby, John O'Neill, does when he undertakes the end of season review. But 14 wins and a draw from 27 tests is not a record that suggests longevity. Losing a dressing room also doesn't.

Not everyone is letting Deans off the hook. " Our lack of technique in most parts of the game astonishes me," former Wallaby coach Bob Dwyer said after the defeat by the Scots.

"Our attack is atrocious. If we don't do something about improving our attacking play we cannot possibly expect to win games at the highest level.

"We have to do something about getting a performance. But the people running the show are the same next week as they were last week. What is going to change?"