Tri Nations Analysis So Far: Australia

(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

The loss in Sydney not only was the second time that the Wallabies under Robbie Deans have lost three straight, but it appears that every loss is only raising more questions of a team that only two months ago was really beginning to look the goods.

As Deans took his post as coach of the Australian test team at the beginning of 2008, the first question I asked would be how he would adapt to a vastly different rugby environment.

In Canterbury, Deans was a rugby connoisseur of his surroundings, culture and history of the region.  The fact that he is considered a good coach was almost secondary to the fact that he had such an ingrained sense of belonging in the famous province.

To say Canterbury and New Zealand rugby is in his blood is an understatement.

Born in Cheviot North Canterbury, rugby player at the Christchurch institution Christ’s College, capped 146 times for Canterbury, played a total of 19 All Blacks matches (five tests), first year as coach of Canterbury in 1997 won the NPC title (ironically beating Graham Henry’s Auckland), and winner of five Super rugby titles with the Crusaders.

So while his general rugby pedigree is faultless, there was never any guarantee that his brilliant record would translate to Wallaby success.

You could almost argue that Australia as a nation doesn’t have the production line that Canterbury does, or at the very least—with no centralised domestic system outside the Super 14—struggles as a pure rugby conveyor, especially considering the competition the code suffers from other sports.

This can be epitomised by the statement that seems to be said with increasing frequency around Australian rugby circles “that Deans simply doesn’t have the cattle.”

This is highly debatable.

When looking at Australia’s playing ranks, there is no questioning the quality.

At World XV level, there is Matt Giteau, George Smith, and Rocky Elsom.  Stirling Mortlock and Berrick Barnes could be added to this list.

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