Shape up or ship out

2008-06-25 09:40

Sydney - On the day that a survey revealed New Zealanders trusted Robbie Deans more than All Blacks coach Graham Henry, the new Wallabies leader told his players: "Trust me - if you don't pick up your act, you'll be dropped."

Deans on Tuesday opted for an old-fashioned rev-up to convince his players that despite picking the same Test line-up to face France at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night, he is not entirely happy with his playing group.

While there was general relief that in their first Test of the season the Wallabies defeated Ireland 18-12 in Melbourne, Deans made it clear on Tuesday that a similar performance would lead to a defeat against the French, and with that inevitable sackings.

And if a New Zealand survey is anything to go by, the Wallabies had better believe what Deans is saying. The annual New Zealand Reader's Digest "most trusted person in 2008" poll saw Deans finish in 35th position, 11 spots ahead of Henry, who beat him for the All Blacks job.

Deans had on his most sincere look when he announced the Test team at the Randwick rugby club on Tuesday, saying that while Australia made a "good start" against Ireland, it was "not a great start".

"We'll need to be better, and we hope to be better. I'm expecting improvement, and am very conscious of the fact that without improvement we won't get home. We were lucky to get home in the first instance," Deans said.

Inconsistent

What irked Deans most was aspects of the team's defence, including the forwards' inability to protect halfback Luke Burgess around the tackle area. It was clear that going back to the old laws had affected the Wallabies' play at the breakdown. "Some of our defence was good in terms of the intensity," Deans said. "It was probably only the intensity that helped us to prevail [against Ireland]. But it was inconsistent, particularly as some of our kick-chase work was poor, and against this French side they'll sting us. If we present a chase line as flawed as it was in Melbourne, it will bite us. There's no doubt they [France] would have seen opportunities in our first outing, and they'll look to make the most of those.

"They'll try to put a lot of pressure to bear around the base and at the breakdown. And we have to front up to those challenges."

Deans said the public should not be sucked into believing the French were a bunch of nobodies.

"I believe this is a stronger side than they presented during the Six Nations. They've got some capabilities in areas where we are a bit vulnerable, certainly based on our first outing.

French jersey

They've got ball players. They've got pace out wide, and they won't want to be returning home wondering if they've given it a crack.

"You could drag someone off the street and put them in a French jersey, and they will play out of their skin. If you're not sure of that, check the history. And these blokes aren't dragged off the street. They're picked for what they've got, and they are a very powerful mix."

The message that no one is assured of Test longevity has hit home to the players. As five-eighth Matt Giteau said on Tuesday: "That has been made clear. The competition for spots is pretty fierce at the moment, and every week all the guys knows they have to play their best rugby."

Wallabies: Shepherd; Hynes, Mortlock (c), Barnes, Tuqiri; Giteau, Burgess, Palu, Smith, Elsom, Sharpe, Horwill, Dunning, Moore, Robinson. Res: Freier, Baxter, Mumm, Waugh, Cordingley, Cross, Ashley-Cooper.

- Rugby Heaven