Head Coach - Robbie Deans

Qantas Wallabies mentor ROBBIE DEANS made a major impact in his first season in the role. As well as beating England and France away from home back-to-back for the first time in a decade during the Spring Tour; Deans also masterminded Australia’s first win on South Africa soil for eight years; which broke a run of 15 away Tri-Nations games without a win for the Wallabies. Australia played a record 14 Tests during Deans’ first year in the job, winning nine of them – a creditable 64% return, especially given that 13 players gained their first experience in the Wallabies’ jersey during the season. His side also beat a star-studded Barbarians side, which contained four of the last five IRB Players of the Year, in Australia’s season finale at Wembley. Although the Wallabies were ultimately unable to wrest the Tri-Nations title from the All Blacks during the decider in Brisbane: in winning three matches, Australia equalled its previous best, in terms of number of wins in the tournament, which was achieved in 2000.

The tally included the historic 27-15 win over South Africa at Durban. That win retained for Australia the Nelson Mandela Plate, which joined the Lansdowne Cup (versus Ireland), the Trophée des Bicentenaries (versus France) and the Cook Cup (versus England) as trophies won during the year. In the other home Test matches, Australia beat South Africa in Perth during its first meeting with the Springboks since that side had won the 2007 Rugby World Cup. The hard fought 16-9 win came a week after South Africa had beaten the All Blacks at Dunedin for the first time in 100 years. The Qantas Wallabies also over-powered the All Blacks 34-19 at Sydney in Deans’ first meeting with his former countrymen.

Deans arrived at the Wallabies with grand coaching credentials, as the most successful coach in the history of Super rugby. He signed off with the Crusaders, having guided the Christchurch-based side to its fifth Super rugby title during his stewardship. His final year saw the former All Black fullback take the Crusaders to their seventh final of his tenure, with 2008 adding to the titles he captured in his first season in 2000, and again in 2002, 2005 and 2006. In 2002, the Deans-coached Crusaders became the only side in Super rugby history to win every match it played during the competition. Between 2004 and 2007, his Crusaders also won a record 26 consecutive matches at home. In 2007, he became the first coach in Super rugby history to surpass a century of matches in charge. He ended with an overall record of 120 matches played for 89 wins, 1 draw and just 30 defeats – a 74 percent success rate.

Manager of the Crusaders between 1997 and 1999, a period during which the side also won titles in 1998 and 1999; Deans ended his time having been directly associated with all but the first 11 matches played by the competition’s most successful franchise. As a player, Deans represented Canterbury for 12 seasons; appearing 146 times. Just three players have played in more matches for the province throughout its 129-year history. Deans scored 1641 points in those matches, which remains the Canterbury record despite the prolific point-scorers Andrew Mehrtens and Daniel Carter having graced the Canterbury jersey in the time since. Deans also played five Tests for New Zealand between 1983 and 1985, playing a pivotal role in the 2-1 series victory in Australia in 1984 which retained for the All Blacks the Bledisloe Cup.

As a coach, Deans rose to prominence when he took over the Canterbury side in 1997. The South Island powerhouse had last won New Zealand NPC when Deans had been a player in 1983, prior to his taking charge. Canterbury won it again during his first season – its first title in 14 years. Deans later won the famous Ranfurly challenge Shield with Canterbury in 2000 before surrendering that role to concentrate entirely on the Crusaders. Deans was co-opted to assist the present Western Force coach John Mitchell with the All Blacks between 2001 and 2003. During that period, New Zealand won 22, drew one and lost four of the Tests that it played, while winning both of the Tri-Nations it contested and recovering the Bledisloe Cup in 2003 after a five year absence.