News

Deans backs Wallabies for Tri-Nations gold

August 08 2008

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has backed his team to bounce back from their defeat in new Zealand last week and win the Tri-Nations title.

Australia were out-muscled and generally out-played in Auckland, illustrating just how long a week can be in international rugby after they had run the All Blacks ragged a week earlier.

In his column on rugby.com.au.Deans said he was not the least bit perturbed by the 39-10 scoreline at Eden Park - if anything it showed that history counts for very little in the heat of battle in Test rugby.

The Wallaby coach pointed to the contest in the contact zone around the breakdown where, the All Blacks generally won the battle and physically imposed themselves which was compounded by some poor decision-making under pressure.

However, the Kiwi said his team had learned from the experience as a group and would be better for it when they head to South Africa later this month.

The Wallabies are currently in the middle of a three-week break between matches, with two games in the Republic on the horizon.

Australia have not won in South Africa for eight years, but Deans believes his team is capable of regaining its best form in time for the two clashes against the reigning world champions.

"I am confident the team is up for it, as we assemble next Wednesday ahead of one of the greatest quests that exists in world rugby - the challenge of winning Test matches on South African soil," wrote Deans.

"While that record (of not winning in South Africa since 2000) has no real relevance in terms of how the two Test matches that lie ahead might unfold on the pitch, it does highlight the special opportunity we have in front of us as we head to the Republic."

"As far as our progress as a team goes, the Auckland experience was a setback, but it need not be any more than that."

"I would like to think the reverse won't impact too greatly on the confidence that has been built up within the group, but that is something we'll really only be able to judge retrospectively."

Deans said all three teams competing for the Tri-Nations title had suffered setbacks during the series so far and that the competition was still wide open.

"What the opening five matches of the Tri-Nations have shown is how tough, and tight, this year's competition is," he said.

"It's the nature of the beast that you learn the most in times of adversity, both about the dynamics of the group, and the individuals within it, in terms of how they handle times of stress."

"The key for us is to respond well, by taking on the lessons from what went wrong, and parking the rest. To dwell too much is to waste energy on a negative experience."