/ 15 December 2007

New Wallabies coach keeping an open mind

New Wallabies coach Robbie Deans says he arrives in the job with no ”historical baggage” to revive Australian rugby’s declining fortunes.

The 48-year-old New Zealander, appointed on Friday for four years, is the first foreigner to coach the Wallabies, in a decision which has received almost universal acceptance within Australian rugby.

One of Deans’s great strengths is that he comes in as John Connolly’s successor from the outside and with an open mind.

”I come in without any historical baggage. I believe the [Super 14] franchises here have been under-achieving and that’s a huge opportunity and something I’m keen to turn my hand to,” Deans told his first press conference as Wallabies’ coach here Saturday.

”I want my work to be inclusive insofar as getting access to the franchises and franchise personnel to see what we do and vice versa.

”Together we will work hard to raise the profile of the game here and hopefully raise the performance.

”It’s what you make of what you’ve got and I think there is ample [talent] here to do well.

”I see a great opportunity here. There’s a lot of talent.” Deans, the coach of the highly successful Canterbury Crusaders provincial team, said he has no preconceived ideas on how he wants the Wallabies to play their rugby.

”We want to go in and look for the opportunity and hopefully get to the point of understanding and executing on the opportunities we’re presented with as opposed to a preconceived and predetermined approach,” he said.

”My approach will simply be to help the people in the game get to a better place.

”I might have some solutions — I won’t have them all — but hopefully we’ll find the solutions that we need.

”I enjoy helping a group come together and maximising what they’ve got.”

Deans will continue coaching the Crusaders in next year’s Super 14 series with the New Zealand Rugby Union’s blessing, leaving him only a few weeks before Australia’s 2008 international programme begins against Ireland in Melbourne on June 14.

”It’s going to be hard. Fortunately I’ve had pretty significant background and experience preparing teams with limited time,” Deans said.

”It won’t be easy but it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to.”

Deans and the Wallabies face the All Blacks three times in the Bledisloe Cup next year — in Sydney on July 26, Auckland on August 2 and in Brisbane on September 13.

He insists he will have no problem coping with pitting wits with the All Black coaching staff, headed by reappointed coach Graham Henry, in the Bledisloe Cup series.

”It’s like competing against your brother in the backyard — it’s one you really want to win,” he said.

Deans said he had ”no doubt” the Wallabies could win the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand for the third time after the disappointment of their quarterfinal loss to England in last October’s World Cup in Marseille. – Sapa-AFP