'Elvis has left the building': Deans gives Wallabies advice after ruling himself out
Robbie Deans has offered Rugby Australia some sage advice after becoming the first big name to rule himself out as a contender to replace Eddie Jones as Wallabies coach.
Deans remains Australia’s longest-serving Wallabies coach, having presided over 75 Tests between 2008 and 2013 for a record of 44 wins, two draws and 29 losses.
The New Zealand great also coached the Crusaders to five Super Rugby crowns before enjoying similarly huge success in Japan with the Panasonic Wild Knights.
But after being floated as a candidate to take over from Jones, who dramatically quit this week just 10 months into his five-year deal, Deans on Wednesday said he had no interest in the Wallabies job.
Robbie Deans enjoyed enormous Super Rugby success with the Crusaders before coaching the Wallabies.
“You don’t go back,” he said after the Wild Knights’ training session at Ballymore ahead of Saturday’s clash with the Queensland Reds.
“It’s never good to go back, I don’t think.
“And you’ve got what you need here. Yeah, you’ll solve it.”
While outgoing All Blacks coach Ian Foster has also been thrown forward as a potential option, Deans reckons Rugby Australia are best off looking in their own backyard for a successor.
Former Wallabies assistants Dan McKellar and Stephen Larkham remain the early frontrunners, but RA chief executive Phil Waugh insists the governing body won’t be making any hasty appointments.
“You’ve got a lot of passionate rugby people, just tap into those that care and you’ll find a way through it,” Deans said.
“Don’t worry about the past. That chapter’s closed, which is probably a good thing. Don’t dwell on it.
“Just keep moving and keep catering for players’ needs and they’ll show them for you.”
Despite the Wallabies slumping to an all-time low No.10 in the rankings after failing to progress out of the World Cup group stages for the first time last month, Deans believes good times are around the corner.
He says the British and Irish Lions touring Australia in 2025 followed by the men’s and women’s World Cups in 2027 and 2029 can serve as massive circuit breakers for the revive the code’s flagging fortunes.
That is, provided RA chief executive Phil Waugh and the board, headed up by embattled chairman Hamish McLennan, learn from their mistakes and get the governance right.
“It’s never as bad as people suggest. It’s never as good as people suggest,” Deans said, almost repeating what Waugh said on Tuesday after formally accepting Jones’ resignation.
“You’ve got a great era coming in the game here. You’ve got a lot of players who want to be part of it and that’s what you feed off.”
Eddie Jones replaced Dave Rennie as Wallabies coach less than a year out from the World Cup.
Deans wouldn’t be drawn on whether or not RA had erred in bringing Jones back, 16 years after being sacked as Wallabies coach in 2005, to replace Dave Rennie just eight months before a World Cup.
“Look, I’m not passing judgement on any decisions that anyone else has made. It’s obviously a chapter that’s closed, which is probably a good thing,” he said.
“I think there’s been enough about that. Elvis has left the building.”
But the 64-year-old was happy to offer some suggestions for RA and whoever they appoint as next Wallabies coach.
“You turn up for work, think about your players, think about your playing group. It’s a player game,” Deans said.
“There’s not enough people thinking about the fact that it’s a player’s game and not enough people thinking beyond their time, beyond their term.
“Leadership is looking beyond where you are in any given moment.
“You’ve got be building to go somewhere beyond where you are.”
Comments on RugbyPass
How does the size of the ‘bloke being hit’ factor into this? If you’re on the opposing team you are fair game. Is Finau the first person in history to target the first five? It seems like this is a great strategy to interrupt your opponents attack. As far as I’m aware, of the four excellent hits on Aussie first fives this year only one of them was ruled late. So if crying about legal tackles isn’t whingeing, then what is it?
4 Go to commentsThings I want to pay attention to this series. 1) Nothing against the other teams in 6 nations, but apart from Irelands loss to england, I dont feel they got tested, So I think this might be tight. 2) Rassie wants to build depth, and would rather do it before a world cup, but I am sure deep inside, he will be reminded that we have not beaten Ireland in years. 3) Will our new coaches plans be sound abd organised in time for the Ireland series? Remember our warm ups might only see our second or third string players available (When are we going to have one universal calander year?) 4) I see Ireland have moved on from Sexton, but what will Farrels plans be for SA? I am sure he will go for a full strength squad. 5) I think the test for the springboks will be the Durban game, it will be in winter, so not too hot for the Irish,no altitude, and it rains allot, might remind them of home. Loftus, if the springboks play the right game, I feel altitude like with most games before, can cause some challanges. 6) Off topic, but who is both Anxious and excited about what the Abs are coming with? A whole new coaching team and different style of play.
113 Go to commentsMost underrated player in world rugby.
2 Go to commentsHow many fans will travel to Qatar to watch these games ? because if they dont, it will be played in front of a few disinterested unknowledgeable Qataris and then just becomes media ‘content’. Thats what Test rugby will be reduced to.
1 Go to commentsSo as long as the playmaker still has the ball IN his hands, its OK. Otherwise the timing is wrong and he’s a liability. No grey line there. Thats the rule he is advocating ? Got it.
4 Go to commentsWrite them off at your peril
8 Go to commentsJust fantastic that the professional game is finally being taken to the Pacific islands. Not before time. It justifies the mere existence of Moana as a club, hopefully they can start to get some positive results too. Check out the sheer joy of the crowds in Fiji and the buzz that having a home team creates. Tonga always had (has ?) issues with their ground not complying with International rugby standards, which NZ always used as an excuse for many years not bringing the All Blacks over. Hopefully this match is the first of many. Would be great to see some tourism grow on the back of it. I once went to the Cook Islands Sevens in Rarotonga - tiny island nation but man did they turn it on. Tonga and Samoa will too given half a chance.
1 Go to commentsQuite right. Punish the time wasters. Its BS these time delays for non-injuries. The Boks have been using it for years now to slow down opposition and now its a scourge on the game. Put players like DeGroot on the sideline and restart play immediately. Watch how 5-6 min to fix your boots quickly becomes 1-2 minutes. Better still how about some personal professional management and you check the conditions/turf beforehand and get yourself better prepared. It might even help your team.
1 Go to commentsWhat drivel. Rugby as a contact sport should not be further diminished by crying over legal hard tackles. Take on the line? Be ready to take the hit. This is PC nonsense.
4 Go to commentsGregor Paul is going to be proved totally wrong. The Crusaders will get in the top 8 and are capable of winning this comp. The return of magnificent captain and player Scott Barrett on Friday was huge. There are a number of players returning and Ethan Blackadder showed huge progression in only his third game back. Christian Lio-Willie has added a new dimension , these two’s combination with Cullen Grace was fantastic. This builds depth when you have outstanding players like Tom Christie and Dom Gardiner also available. The tight five improved ten fold and this is with Tamaiti Williams and Codie Taylor being back.Others are set to return. Johnny McNicoll on his return home has been a revelation. Paul can dismiss Fridays win by the Crusaders as much as he likes and he will prove very popular in this country in doing so. But he will be proved wrong , Rob Penney and his coaching team will have the last laugh.
8 Go to commentsI haven’t seen or heard to many whinging about Finau quite the opposite. The TMO’s have reviewed each time and taken no action, so if they have now been alerted it’s not from people whinging The player comes flying out of the line and launches himself at the attacker so it is probably ruled as a committed tackle, but at what point does it move to tackling a player without the ball Time will tell
4 Go to commentsThis cracked media record of aligning success or failure on head coaches is remarkable. Using the crusaders past history as an example, a more sensible observation and analysis could be that the recent head coaches had inherited a extremely successful combination of players linked to their traditional historical support of the Canterbury people. That period ended this year when the new coach was introduced to virtually a new team. And in a year where other franchises have grown much stronger than their respective past, it was always an anticipated reality that the coach and his new crusader team were up against it. Therefore, I humbly believe that unlike some commentators present, I laud coach Penny and the team for their efforts to date and I am sure given another term and with Canterbury behind them they will be riding high once more. Strange all this coming from me who lives in Taupo and a one eyed chiefs supporter. Can't wait for all future chiefs and crusader games!
8 Go to commentsGrt bench player..keep him there..
3 Go to commentsA Springbok 2-0 win: haha told you we were champions now shut up An Irish 2-0 win: the referee was under orders from world rugby to cheat us but luckily we don’t care because this is part of Rassie’s grand world Cup plan.
113 Go to commentsI hope they didn’t pay Jones fee?
2 Go to commentsTo be fair, the teams he's had to put out are reminiscent of those available to Gatland during his horrible run at the Chiefs in late 2020. Anyway, he's only got a two year contract and Wellingtonian Tamati Ellison will be ready by then, as will a lot of talented youngsters (like the Chiefs Gatland blooded). The Crusaders are planning for the long term.
8 Go to commentsGreat to see more community spending leading to higher participation in the community. It's a long road but that's a good first step.
2 Go to commentsPoetic justice for trying to sell him to Australia as another kiwi saviour coach, not ! Deans was just as bad actually but McCaw and Carter covered up for him. That’s why they didn’t want him as All Black coach, even after Graeme Henry’s bumbling effort in 2007.
8 Go to commentsSACK HIM !
8 Go to commentsSafas are so triggered by Ireland. 3 consecutive losses, incl RWC. 8 losses out of last 12 Tests. Always excuses, of course, with Bok fans. Now Rassie with his “88%” nonsense, the Claytons Excuse is an embarrassment to Bok teams of the past when every test mattered. Their fickle mojo will be on edge for the Ireland tour. Have the referees been appointed yet ? They will need security. Have WR laid out strict guidelines for TMO’s and replays on the stadium screens ? Will the constant stoppages from Bok forwards for cramps and bootlaces be tolerated ? We’re not talking a dominant Springbok team here, they won the LOTTO Cup and they know it whether they admit it or not. The Disney doco has their fans positively fermenting internally, its going to be a nasty hangover if they get beaten on home soil. What will the excuses be then……
113 Go to comments