A dingo stole my baby – Part 1

Mick Coogan October 12, 2012 48

At the time of writing, John O’Neill has fallen on his sword. Nobody in their right mind believes he has resigned because of other business interests. He has resigned because he put his fate in the hands of a fellow he chose who was never cut out for the job.

Is Deans’ demise imminent? Well after the effort against the Pumas, some people are optimistic about his chances. With O’Neill capitulating however, he no longer has any protection. Should the All Blacks stove Australia next week; I will be very surprised to see Deans on the end of year tour.

Before I begin let us look at the positives, Deans has helped Australia’s rankings since his arrival. Australia, were placed fifth in the World come the end of 2007. Since his time he has brought them back up to second. He has been the Wallabies most successful coach against the Bok’s and he has if somewhat erratically, increased Australia’s experience and playing depth.

In doing thus, he has given the chance to some precocious backline talents like Ioane, O’Connor and Beal. In the forwards, Sitaleki Timani looks the money as a second rower/utility flanker and Australia has two dynamic loose forwards David Pocock and Michael Hooper who will trouble international teams for years to come.

Nonetheless, since his appointment to coach the Wallabies in 2007, Deans reign has been a controversial one. Sure, he had a great record with the Crusaders however, it is widely understood in New Zealand that Wayne Smith, set up all the structures that would greatly help his later Super rugby successes.

Mitch – was bald then too

Deans, as attendant to coach John Mitchell took over from Smith as All Blacks coach in 2001. They brought in a host of young talent and moved on older experienced heads. During their two years in charge, the two enjoyed some stunning successes. Yet, in un-leashing their All Blacks, had them peak too early and their set piece and back line moves exposed. They also grew arrogant and relied on the mercurial but inconsistent Carlos Spencer for their play making. To his credit, Deans famously warned the egotistical Spencer not to throw any cut out passes (which Spencer promptly refused to listen to).

Nonetheless, one swallow does not a summer make. Mitchell and Deans had divided the team well before Stirling Mortlock put us out of our misery as explained by Joseph Romanos. The Kiwi press who disliked the Mitchell and Deans operation had a field day and the headlines were deeply critical. One in particular may sound familiar to Wallabies fans.

“No passion, no pride, no brains, no leadership, wrong tactics, wrong options. Bloody gutted!”

The Taranaki Daily News

After the 2003 debacle, Mitchell was kicked into touch, but his assistant Dingo lived another day, at least in the eyes of his Canterbury faithful for whom he could do no wrong. Deans would go on to win 5 Super Rugby titles and be the word on many peoples lips as the heir apparent to Henry as the next All Black coach after the 2007 RWC tournament. Deans was apparently mystified and angered as to why he did not get the All Black call up. One person however, who saw a bargain was John O’Neill of the ARU.

In his haste to reclaim former glories, O’Neill in his woefully poor second stint as head of the organisation seemed to have overlooked the key traits of the coaches and players required to recreate them. Instead of examining the cold hard issues behind the Wallabies descent into mediocrity, O’Neill from the moment he hired Deans seemed content to market, not mould the Wallabies brand into world champion status.

O’Neill is not popular in Kiwi rugby circles, while I do think he was correct to take RWC games off New Zealand in 2003, his appointment of Deans smacked of some silly one up man ship with the NZRFU and his refusal to vote for New Zealand hosting the 2011 tournament came across as petty.

Sorry mate, gotta bail

The ARU under O’Neill has also forgotten the most successful Australian rugby players have been ones that avoided too much limelight and down played their public image earlier on – David Pocock and Mike Hooper are but two good recent examples.

Thus, the hype behind the Wallabies leading into the last RWC was simply ridiculous. O’Neill should have learned from the Kiwi experience. That being, winning a Super Rugby title and a Championship trophy in World Cup year is no guarantee of success. Further that, for a relatively youthful team to do well at a World Cup like the All Blacks of 95 and the Wallabies of 99, the young players needed to have mature attitudes and a core of older experienced leaders both on and off the pitch.

Deans, in trying to make the All Blacks and Wallabies successful, has developed a bad habit of ditching under-performing (or not) star players, only to replace them with up and coming players often out of their depth, or failing that, individuals proven to have far less ability than the high profile players he has ditched.

I do not buy into the idea that injuries have been the problem either. A team can keep its shape and culture when under duress. In many ways, the injuries have been a blessing – were it not for them a number of players would never have seen day light. In so doing, Deans has undermined core leadership within the team dynamic.

That John O’Neill chose to ignore these issues when he hired Deans is bizarre. As we shall see in Part II, there were plenty of warning signs for the ARU and O’Neill concerning Deans ability as a coach.

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About the author: Mick Coogan View all posts by Mick Coogan

Mick Coogan from the thriving metropolis of Palmy North, New Zealand, takes a look at both sets of punters across the ditch and gives us an unbiased view of the reportage from both countries. In doing so he hopes to avoid the clichés and discuss some shit other pundits may well be overlooking

Discussion »

Barbarian

JON resigned because of Robbie Deans?

Can’t say I can agree with that, and I have no idea how you can make that assertion.
Mick Coogan

Barbar mate. I am assuming it is so, his resigning of Deans after 2011 was his mark in the sand moment. It’ll be interesting what will come out in recent weeks and months. But I have a feeling he’s using his business ties and so forth to bail out.
- Barbarian
  
  That’s a mighty big call to make. You may be right, but I buy his explanation. Echo is a massive company that face some very testing times. It had come time to pick between it and the ARU, and he chose Echo. Say what you want about the decision or the man but I don’t question the motivation.
  - Mick Coogan
    
    I looked into the Echo thing. No doubt it’s a big deal mate. However, I do think O’Neill’s been under the hammer for some time, in particularly since re-signing Deans as I said in the last post.
    
    After the win against Argentina, this is a nice unassuming way to bow out. Before the AB’s come over and potentially thwack an exhausted Wallabies team.
    
    What is really interesting (even if I am flat out wrong which I don’t think I am obviously lol). Is that Deans is now without his most fervent supporter.
    
    So all in all it is an interesting time for the ARU. In Part II I discuss the stuff O’Neill ignored with regards to Deans. Hopefully you will see the method of my madness.
    - PM
      
      We need to remember that the ARU board approve all coaching decisions.
      
      The initial coaching appointment and contract extension was recommended by JON and approved by the ARU board which includes some great Wallabies.
nufz

Not going to bother reading this article because the heading is in such bad taste.

How low can you go?
- Digby the Wonder Dog
  
  Love the title!
- Lindommer
  
  Nothing wrong with linking dingoes and babies in Australia, in fact it’s my byline.
  - Mick Coogan
    
    The title was originally “A Dingo stole my Rugby”. Yes in 2003 he stole mine by getting rid of Jeff Wilson, Tana Umaga and Christian Cullen then replacing them with Ben Blair, Caleb Ralph and all manner of chumps. I fear he’s doing it again to Wallabies fans.
Rob

You’re an idiot
Danny

Interesting article. Have to you say I don’t agree with you criticising O’Neil for voting against the Kiwis hosting the 2011 World Cup. The international rugby community is big enough to expect the World Cup to be hosted by more than 4 or 5 countries on rotation. Was also pleased to see some shape brought into the inbound Australian tours, for example the three test series against Wales this year, instead of the hodge podge of understrength teams from the north we have come to expect. Scotland a mistake. While we are # 2 in the world at the moment (really, a pretty amazing achievement) it’s the style of play that is so unsatisfying. If we cannot have new coach, can we at least have a selection panel and some new input into the coaching team?
- Mick Coogan
  
  I wasn’t giving O’Neill guff for not voting for us Kiwi’s. He’s perfectly entitled to his opinions. It was just how it looked to punters here and elsewhere. I agree that full strength NH coming down under is a good thing. I think all of the SANZAR lot need a pat on the back for that.
‘Boutbloodytime

Time will tell if the assertions about JON prove accurate…but the assessment of Deans seems pretty on the money so far…
johnny-boy

Some serious australian rugby journalism addressing the problems with Australian rugby – and then I see it’s written by a bloody kiwi :). Well done Mick.
- Mick Coogan
  
  Thanks mate. I got a few haters early on lol. The article is less about the reasons for O’Neill jumping ship, than it is about the warning signs O’Neill should have looked into concerning Deans. As you will see in Part II.
  - johnny-boy
    
    You should note that Australia was ranked 4th even before Deans had coached a game and that John Connolly also had the Wallabies ranked 2nd – andit was pretty apparent he was about a decade behind the game at the time. Coincidentally.
    
    The quote “No passion, no pride, no brains, no leadership, wrong tactics, wrong options. Bloody gutted!” is downright eerie.
    
    Perhaps a nickname like ‘The Black Lemon’ might be more appropriate.
    - Mick Coogan
      
      Check out the next Wallabies coach! Eagle Dad!
Mick Coogan

ROFLMAO Black Lemon! If you want eerie check out bloody Part II mate. It’s totally deja vu for me. The ides of Deans did not bode well at all.
sheek

Mick,

Deans wasn’t cut out for the (Wallabies) job?

How can you say that with any credibility? Besides, it’s incredibly revisionist. Deans was the best credentialed candidate when he got the Wallabies coaching gig in 2008.

The only people who opposed his appointment were those who opposed a Kiwi in charge of the Wallabies and the mentally challenged.

Otherwise, most Aussies thought it was a sound choice.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Looking backwards in 2012, it didn’t really work out. But no-one could have envisaged that at the beginning of 2008.

Naturally, if we had our time again we wouldn’t have selected Deans. But no-one can predict the future with any absolute certainty.

You can only do what you believe is the best thing to do at the time.

I’m not sure McKenzie, or any other candidate, could have done much better. There are significant problems with the domestic structures & pathways of Australian rugby that will challenge whoever is the Wallabies coach into the future.

For me, the issues facing Australian rugby go beyond O’Neill & Deans. I certainly think Australian rugby needs fresh faces with fresh ideas & O’Neill retiring is a step in the right direction.

But let’s be honest here – O’neill did an enormously fantastic job 1996-2003. Although his second tenure 2006-12 was less successful.
- bludge
  
  mick is promising to explain the facts behind his headline in part 2. should be interesting.
  
  seems like the rubbish recent results deans has got has served mainly to make wayne smith look like a genius and has many people now downplaying or outright dismissing the acheivements of deans at the crusaders. lets be honest thats bloody unfair.
  
  structures setup or not, there’s no free rides through a season and he obviously had 5 years of bloody hard work to get those titles. people should be fair to the guy and leave them in his credit.
  - Mick Coogan
    
    Bludge one of the key factors in all of this is Wayne Smith as All Blacks coach. He had the balls to front up to the NZRFU and was honest in his appraisal of his performance as AB’s coach. His humility cost him his job.
    
    Then Mitchell and Deans waltzed in. As you will see in Part II, Deans has little of that introspection. He is also something of an autocrat. Deans is a good talent spotter and yeah he had the Crusaders well oiled. But, he should have gone off and coached in the NH before taking on the Wallabies job. Coaching over there has been an important training ground for Kiwi coaches. No doubt for Aussies as well.
- Mick Coogan
  
  I don’t know what you are disagreeing about here? After experiencing Dingo and his BS back in 2003 first hand as an AB supporter, I think I’m rather entitled to pass comment
  
  Not only that having a chance to read the comments made by ex and current players from New Zealand and now Australia. It’s not hindsight at all. I knew from word dot that Deans would struggle in Australia. Call me arrogant but I knew he would.
  
  I knew this because my mates in the game not to mention articles from the GnG amongst other places. Were keeping me informed about the stuff going down at Grass Roots.
  
  No Deans removal won’t solve Australia’s problems over night and I have written about that before. I have never said they would. I think McKenzie will need to be given time. Any coach for that matter.
  
  I also pointed out (obviously not clearly enough) that O’Neill did a good job first time around. But couldn’t replicate it again.
- Fletch
  
  @sheek
  
  Most aussies thought it was a sound choice ?
  
  Whats that assumption based on ? – a bit of chat with your mates around the barby while the girls compare the crockery in the kitchen. ( flashes of “The Slap” are allowed)
  
  Wouldn’t you say the “general ” reaction and first reaction was – “hey isn’t this guy a kiwi and HTF can he coach Australia” – think if you are honest , you’d admit that was the first reaction.
  
  5 Years on – whats our same reaction to Deans – if you are honest, its
  
  KIWIS CANT COACH the AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL RUGBY TEAM
  
  It was stupid and unwise by JON and departed from the physcological importance of australian culture, the way we go about things, the way we win, the style of our wins, the things we draw on when we go into competitions like this. JON ignored all this when he decided to employ Deans and it was dumb and disrespectful of a nations personal character and if he is such a marketing man as people suggest, then his decision to employ Deans should be regarded as an even dumber decision.
  
  Re Deans having previous super 12 success and Ewen not being ready before etc – what a load of bollocks. If players like Phil Kearns can be pulled from reserve grade randwick straight into wallabies and other players in our supposed present day 3XV can step up like they have, so too can a coach be plucked and given the job – within reason of course.
  
  You either got it or you dont – its not THAT complicated.
  
  Ewen had shown plenty even at the waratahs, but lets say post Stade Francais, to the astute eye that he was the man.
  
  We have the coaching talent here 5 deep, and JONs decision to employ Deans was a SHOWPONY big business, disrespectful WANK that has been revealed for all to see.
  - Digby the WonderDog
    
    Was going to write a but here about how surely at international level it’s what in the players head that counts and how could a kiwi get in their heads etc etc but will just say that I agree, agree, agree.
  - sheek
    
    Fletch,
    
    We are aggressive, aren’t we. Obviously you disagree strongly & that’s your prerogative.
    
    Interesting that prior to Deans being appointed we had seen Guus Hiddinck do wonderful things with the Socceroos.
    
    In 2008 Robbie Deans was the outstanding candidate. Alan Jones was too old & out of touch; David Nucifora’s only SR title had come in the face of a player revolt; John Muggleton was never more than a good assistant coach & Ewen McKenzie simply wasn’t ready.
    
    They were the guys who put up their hand. They were the candidates. That was the hand from which the ARU had to choose.
    
    It didn’t work out, but no-one could have known that with certainty back at the beginning of 2008. To suggest anything else is being revisionist.
    - sheek
      
      Fletch,
      
      I might add too, that selecting a national coach is clearly not the same thing as taking a punt on a second grade player (Kearns) & hauling him him into the Wallabies.
      
      Dwyer took an educated punt on Kearns & it paid off. I say educated because both men came from Randwick.
      
      When selecting a national coach, you don’t take punts. Get the process wrong & it effects a lot more than just 14 other team mates.
      
      Based on the evidence before them in 2008, the ARU went with Deans. He was the outstanding candidate.
      
      Being a kiwi was irrelevant. We’ve had kiwis play for the Wallabies since 1899. one of our finest & most inspirational skippers – Greg Davis – was a kiwi.
      
      You’re just showing your childishiness & you should grow up.
    - sheek
      
      Fletch,
      
      While I believe Deans did the best possible job in difficult circumstances 2008-11. Indeed, as well if not better than any other candidate might have done, although we’ll never know, will we.
      
      However, I don’t agree he should have been reappointed for 2012-13. He had his stint & it’s time to try someone else.
      
      However, the decision has been made & we’ll just have to cop it unless of course something dramatic happens in the meantime.
      
      I argue on other blog sites that we have bigger problems elsewhere. Namely, our domestic structures need a massive overhauling.
  - Brumby Runner
    
    I have to put my hand up – I thought Deans’ appointment was a masterstroke at the time, but I do recall a lot of opposition then also. I lost faith during the World Cup, not so much with the results, but with the style of play adopted by Deans. Then there was the failure to have a proper No 7 backup, and his continual suspect selections like Brown, McCalman Ma’afu and Mumm etc when blind Freddy could see there were better options.
    
    I don’t hold the view that Deans has brought on a swathe of star players. All of the stars were identified at Super level. It is Deans’ reluctance until forced by injuries to pick other deserving players, or to use them off the bench, that galls me, like for instance, Cummins, Tapui, White, Douglas, Neville, Pyle, Schatz and others. All players who will prove themselves at test level imo and who should have been given a go earlier that they were.
    
    I believe it’s time for Link to take over, but I think I am going to be sorely disappointed.
    - Fletch
      
      @sheek- OK while I’m growing up let’s keep on forging ahead like we have been. Regarding Gus HIndink – how on earth can justify Deans based on Gus – major diff is that we had nothing to draw on locally and had never even qualified for a world cup – in Rugby we’ve won 2 world cups and have a wealth of domestic coaching talent then and now- and that’s Ewen aside – so how could u compare. And me being a revisionist ? – I and many ppl said it from the START – he’s a kiwi – sport is about emotion as well as selection and strategy – he’s failed on all 3 point blank – and re JON – we don’t need a boardroom brawler we need to start winning – we need ex rugby players admin the sport not businessmen
    - fletch
      
      @sheek- OK while I’m growing up let’s keep on forging ahead like we have been. Regarding Gus HIndink – how on earth can justify Deans based on Gus – major diff is that we had nothing to draw on locally and had never even qualified for a world cup – in Rugby we’ve won 2 world cups and have a wealth of domestic coaching talent then and now- and that’s Ewen aside – so how could u compare. And me being a revisionist ? – I and many ppl said it from the START – he’s a kiwi – sport is about emotion as well as selection and strategy – he’s failed on all 3 point blank – and re JON – we don’t need a boardroom brawler we need to start winning – we need ex rugby players admin the sport not businessmen
- Who Needs Melon
  
  I agree with sheek.
  
  I didn’t have any inside knowledge about Deans back when he was appointed but to me and everyone else I spoke to he seemed a fantastic appointment. It seemed about time we got a decent coach, regardless of where he was from and seeing how NZ had been thumping us, where better to poach from? And to get the highly successful Crusaders coach that, let’s be honest, a LOT of Kiwis thought should have go the AB job. It seemed like gold.
  
  Of course now I think it’s time for the experiment to end and a change – e.g. someone like Link to have a crack. Having said that, I’d also still be interested in a really good foreign coach – e.g. Graham Henry!
  
  I also 100% agree with sheek on this statement that “O’neill did an enormously fantastic job 1996-2003. Although his second tenure 2006-12 was less successful.”
- johnny-boy
  
  In one of the few occasions I would agree with Sheep, Deans did appear to be the best choice at the time, primarily because of the despair that Jones and Connolly were so so bad (and yet their record is better than the Black Lemons’)
  
  I recall Peter Fitzimmons being one of the few who spoke publicy that a foreigner shouldn’t be coaching the Wallabies. Good call animal.
  
  When Tony McGahan was recently appointed as yet another assistant replacement he trumpeted that he was basically going to take charge of the main important parts of the coaching. Knowing what we know now this would have gone down a real treat.
  
  Given Jim Williams was one of the great Wallaby forwards I was always puzzled why he seemed such a poor forwards coach for the Wallabies although that riddle has also now been solved.
bludge

dunno how people keep crediting deans with the arrival of this player or that. guys like genia, pocock etc are out and out standouts and you’d have to be blind or a complete moron not to bring those guys into the national squad when they start showing the form they displayed. they would have come in no matter who the coach is. the players people should be discussing are the guys he brought in out of position or elevated on little form… those are the guys where he made his real decisions as a coach. how they went is where he should be judged as a selector. mcCabe… some positives, some negatives depending on how you view the game plan. for example.
Rob

Look I hate kiwis and everything they stand for. But Robbie is one of us now. And he was certainly the best candidate. Fat cat Mckenzie will be shown up. No doubt the same wingers will be on here blaming Robbie for him failing. The problems with Aussie rugby go far deeper than where the national coach is from.
- Mick Coogan
  
  Cheers for calling me an idiot earlier Rob. I’m glad to know you hate me and everything I stand for lol. Anyhow mate, I totally agree that the problems go deeper than Deans and O’Neill. I don’t rightly know if McKenzie will be able to turn things around.
  
  While Fletch is a little over zealous that a Kiwi could never coach Australia. I do agree that it was pretty damaging to the ARU getting Deans in. It was also something of a psychological blow.
  
  Australia have had good patches with local coaches and bad ones. I think an Australian coach wouldn’t have been to hard to find. Further, if the ARU were looking off shore. It would be interesting to have had a look at what other international coaches were around the scene then.
  
  What I have always felt, is that Deans should have coached at national level in the NH. Well before he ever took on any SH team. Its very difficult up there. You think Aussie rugby is divided sheesh! Check out the rivalries that exist between Irish, English and Welsh clubs.
  
  Also working with players with a lower skill set than in NZ and Aus really challenges coaches to come up with better strategies.
  
  If you can learn your trade their you can handle most things. It would have been good for Deans. He would have had to communicate a lot more, take a few licks and reflect a little bit more.
- sarina
  
  Why? They pretty much stand for the same things we do but are a helluba lot more culturally aware and onclusive
- sarina
  
  Why do u hate kiwis so much? They stand for the same things we do bit are a helluva lot more culturally aware and inclusive than here
- PD
  
  What a starnge comment. You hate Kiwis and evrythingthing they stand for? Please elaborate.
murph

Dingo has increased the rankings but only because of the anomaly caused by two factors:

1) the 5th ranking was at the end of the RISC where placing generally governs ranking at the end of the tournament. Going into the tournament Australia was placed 2nd. So between September 2007 and now, Australia’s ranking has not changed.

2) (and I’m yet to model this conclusively) the fact that Australia regularly plays SA and NZ, whereas NH teams play them relatively rarely means that our rankings are artificially spiked on the rare occasion of a win against NZ and are kept artificially high by wins over SA
Parksider

Good article Mick. Looking forward to part 2. But I must take issue with your statement in a subsequent comment that Robbie has ‘something of the autocrat about him’. He’s a an out and out little dictator!If his destructive elimination of anybody with a varying view (i.e. Muggleton, Giteau, Rogers) was not clear enough, Mcaw’s comments leave no doubt. I just deplore the way Deans’ efforts to confine the Wallaby experience to his very limited vision has broken the spirit of so many players, turned off so many fans and squandered the promise and DEPTH of Australian rugby. He’s been a blight on our house and it’s time we cleaned it out.

In closing, I would like to say thanks to Jon, who despite his serious error in re signing Deans was several levels above the usual pack of self interested, underhanded good ol’ boys who pass for sports administrators (and still occupy the ARU). We could have, as we have in the past, done a lot worse.
Dougs

I agree that Robbie has had his go and it’s time to look for new blood, but at the time he was appointed I like many thought it was a masterstroke. Sometimes I think we’re a little too wise with the retrospectoscope.
Nelse

Not a bad article. Certainly don’t agree with the opener about JON leaving because of deans and not because of echo. He’s a guy that has about 8 months left on his contract. And those 8 months might have proved the most profitable of his 2nd tenure, with a bledisloe at home, an end of year tour that we should pick up a couple of wins, then the beginning of the super rugby season with some Aussie derbies straight up and to cap it all off, the lions, which will bring a whole lot of money to the ARU, on field success or not. I just can’t see, after the last few years of having deans and results not being what he expected, he would choose this time to go without the incentive of Echo
galumay

As long as people keep blaming Dingo for any perceived woes with Australian Rugby they are missing the point, and will continue to be disappointed with who ever replaces him in the future.
Bobas

Mick Coogan, What do you think about The SOS’s to Nathan Sharpe, do you think there’s a pending autobiography coming on the shelves that they’re trying to stop. It might have a telling chapter it?

I think Sharpe has a bit more class than to release one while he’s still playing (unlike James Anderson).

But if you think about it Sharpe has never been an automatic pick for lock and has on a few occasions only kept his spot due to injuries.
- Mick Coogan
  
  Good question mate. I think Sharpes recall and playing through is more to do with the fact he’s a solid bloke and a good Wallaby. I don’t think Deans has been to concerned about posterity. But it will be interesting when it all goes down what players will say and so on.
  
  What is interesting is that knowing what I knew. I always thought Deans would struggle with the Wallabies. There is no hindsight involved. When he ditched Waugh and Giteau started to raise concerns I was like here it comes.
  
  I have long said Deans would have been better off plying his trade in the NH. Before he came to Aussie. That place is a real learning curb for coaches. As for Deans being a viable option on paper I’d say yes. In reality at international level I have to say no.
  
  Since 2003 he has had 9 years to work on himself. I have seen the very same mistakes unfold under the Wallabies. How much of it was Mitchell first time round is a blur to me.
  - chester
    
    Nathan Sharpe was dropped by Deans at the World CUp on 99 test matches. Deans did not even pick him on the bench. JON stepped in and made Deans pick him on the bench. Deans went on to have his wings clipped post World Cup and Sharpie played on. But if Deans had hs way Sharpie would never have been sighted in a gold jersey this year
    - Bobas
      
      I remember a few years back as well he was dropped for the SA tour then picked as a last resort for the end of year tour.
      
      At the time Deans felt players like Mumm were going to be better test locks.
      
      Now we’ve got exciting talent (young fast and big): Pyle, Neville, Douglass, Simmons, Timani (future no. 8) coming through and Sharpe is captain, leading from the front.
      
      I don’t know what to make of it, because I like Sharpe as a player, but its a bit like Chris Latham… Wait til the end of his career to believe in him and let him play to his full potential.
      
      I would let him go after the bledisloe, we have the depth, I think he’s got a book about to hit the shelves that there hoping doesn’t come out til Deans is gone.
      
      Like Schwartzer’s book mentioning Gus Hiddink… The mind games, the rotations, the dropping players after errors that destroy confidence.
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