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Deans satisfied with Euro trip

Thursday 04th December 2008

9 out of 14: Not a bad start for Robbie Deans' first year as Wallaby boss

Australia coach Robbie Deans was in buoyant mood after the Wallabies wrapped up their tour with a bruising 18-11 victory over the Barbarians at Wembley Stadium.

The six-match trip yielded four wins - against England, Italy, France and the Barbarians - and two defeats after New Zealand won in Hong Kong and Wales triumphed 21-18 in Cardiff last weekend.

"I look back on the tour with a lot of satisfaction," Deans told reporters after Wednesday's match.

"We have exposed a lot of players to Test rugby and that will serve us well going forward.

"My first year with Australia has been fantastic. They have been a great bunch to work with."

Deans ended 2008 with a Test record of played fourteen, won nine and lost five as Wallaby boss.

"I am really looking forward with a lot of anticipation to next year," added the New Zealander, the first overseas coach of the Australian national side.

Deans' men were without Test regulars such as captain Stirling Mortlock and Matt Giteau, while in the forwards old heads Nathan Sharpe and Stephen Moore watched their team-mates from the stands.

But a largely raw team, well led by veteran flanker George Smith, overcame a star-studded side featuring seven South African World Cup-winners, as well as the likes of New Zealand captain Richie McCaw and All Black wing Joe Rokocoko.

Teenage full-back James O'Connor had a notable Australia debut but some of the shine for the Wallabies was removed by the serious injuries sustained by Waratahs props Matt Dunning and Sekope Kepu.

At a scrum, Dunning slipped on the loose turf, which Smith, with some understatement said "wasn't conducive" for the set-piece, and snapped his Achilles tendon. The ensuing collapse forced Kepu's arm back and led to him tearing a chest muscle.

"It's the worst part of the game, injuries, and they're pretty significant injuries both of them," Deans said.

"But they're resilient characters so they're definitely capable of coming back."

In South Africa flyer Bryan Habana, International Rugby Board (IRB) World Player of the Year Shane Williams - Australia's tormentor-in-chief in Cardiff - and Rokocoko, the Barbarians fielded three of the best wings around.

But teenager O'Connor coped admirably and landed all three of his kicks at goal.

In the circumstances, he could be forgiven his one major error, a poor clearing kick, from which the Barbarians, who had earlier seen South Africa great Percy Montgomery land two first-half penalties, scored their only try of the match through former All Black loose forward Jerry Collins.

"He was fantastic," Deans said of O'Connor.

"When you look at some of the players that he was up against and you consider he's 18 years old and he's playing against three of the best wingers in the world - and three of the best wingers in the world that we've seen for a decade - that's pretty intimidating stuff.

"But you got an insight into some of his gifts, his footwork, and the ability to step up and kick three goals was great," added Deans of a match where the Wallabies' other scores came from tries by Lote Tuqiri and a long-distance breakaway clincher by replacement wing Lachie Turner two minutes from time.

Any notion a match celebrating the centenary of Australia's rugby gold medal at the 1908 London Olympics was a 'festival' fixture, disappeared on the half-hour mark.

The Barbarians' Italian international prop Federico Pucciariello, unhappy with the way in which Quade Cooper had tackled Springbok scrum-half Fourie du Preez, drove the Australia fly-half over the sideline and into an advertising board. Pucciariello and Cooper appeared to exchange blows, or at least try to, before their team-mates intervened.

English referee Chris White, in a rare reminder this was not a full international, settled for a brief lecture rather than a yellow card which, at the very least, he would surely have shown if this had been a Test match.

"The spectators got their money's worth," said Smith of an encounter whose outcome might have been different had South Africa's Francois Steyn achieved the unwelcome treble of missing a conversion, penalty and a drop-goal.

"It was a great spectacle and it was very physical.

"To put on the Australian jersey, you feel privileged to wear it. We don't take it lightly."

Meanwhile O'Connor was still coming to terms with appearing in front of a crowd of nearly 44,000 in the first rugby union match at the re-built Wembley.

"To be playing at Wembley was great, it was an awesome atmosphere."