Wallabies not daunted, Deans says

BY MARC HINTON IN SYDNEY

Robbie Deans has vowed his jet-lagged Wallabies are not daunted by what could be described as the ultimate challenge in rugby - playing a well-rested, in-form All Blacks team on the back of a schedule from hell.

Deans today made just one injury-enforced change to his starting XV on the back of last week's epic - and bogey-breaking - 41-39 victory over the Springboks in Bloemfontein. A revitalised Lachie Turner - sharpened by a bout of sevens training - comes in on the left wing for the hamstrung Drew Mitchell.

There is one other change on the bench, this one forced by suspension, with Ashburton-born Huia Edmonds - an All Black fan as a youngster - slotting in as backup hooker in place of the sidelined Saia Fainga'a.

But it's the travel and fatigue factor that dramatically steepens the task for the Wallabies at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night as they attempt to halt a nine-test losing streak at All Blacks' hands. One more and they're into record territory.

The Wallabies have just played back-to-back tests at altitude in South Africa - draining enough tasks at the best of time - and now meet the All Blacks in their third match in as many weeks on the back of the long haul home from the republic.

Their preparation this week has been directed more at shaking off jet-lag than anything in the way of hardcore preparation.

By contrast the All Blacks are well rested, have some fresh legs among their rejigged side, and are in a mood to complete the Tri-Nations' first six-game sweep.

For an Australian side struggling in many areas, and desperate to shed the New Zealand monkey off their back, it's an almost cruel twist of fate that has been tossed their way by the schedule.

But Deans was today refusing to buy into any theories that his men face a sort of Mission Impossible this weekend. 

"It's great," said Deans of the task ahead. "The All Blacks are the benchmark. They're unbeaten in the Tri-Nations, they're a side that's not only well versed in what they're doing but have also had the luxury of being able to sit and plan and refresh.

"I'm sure they're pretty keen to finish on a good note..

"For any side to beat the All Blacks is always a challenge, but it's not one that daunts us in any way. It's why these blokes play the game - they all want to play against the best and the opportunity they've got excites them."

Deans said Turner got the nod on the wing, ahead of Peter Hynes, because of "background". His 12 tests - including three against the All Blacks - and a recent spell training with the Australian sevens squad made him the obvious choice. Plus, he'd been with the squad in South Africa.

"He's trained well. Those blokes are working hard in preparation for the Commonwealth Games, and it shows," said Deans.

Deans shrugged off the absence of Dan Carter from the All Blacks as "neither here nor there" and said he had not been surprised by Graham Henry's five changes.

"We anticipated them," he said. He was not expecting any sort of dropoff, in intensity or form, from the New Zealanders this weekend.

In terms of the presence of the inexperienced Aaron Cruden at pivot for the New Zealanders, Deans said: "It changes the dynamics slightly, but it depends on how we are able to impose ourselves on the game.

"But it won't change the way they play. Aaron's been there for a long period of time and he's prepared to play every week."

Deans said he believed his men were fresh enough to produce one more big performance, though his optimism surely flies in the face of reality. If the Wallabies win this match, it will be one of their great All Black scalps.

He admitted Quade Cooper would likely face some defensive "questions" at five-eighth, and that overall the Wallabies had to improve their defence after coughing up 80 points in the two tests in Africa.

Unfortunately those improvements had to be made systematically and schematically, rather than through time on the field.

But hope springs eternal in Sydney this week. Having finally ended their 47-year hoodoo at altitude, there is confidence in the Wallabies squad they can maybe tuck away that All Blacks one as well.

Deans had picked up on this determination among his players but said the challenge now was "to add some substance to it. We've shown that promise previously, and the key now is to turn it into a habit".

The Wallabies face the biggest of asks on Saturday night at the former Olympic stadium, but at least they head in with their tails up, if not their energy levels.

Somehow their challenge is to transfer that confidence and momentum into something much more tangible on the field. That task might be easier if they weren't facing an All Blacks side determined to etch their place in history.

AUSTRALIA: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 James O'Connor, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Lachie Turner, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia; 8 Ben McCalman, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom (capt), 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Mark Chisholm, 3 Salesi Ma'afu, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson.

Reserves: 16 Huia Edmonds, 17 James Slipper, 18 Dean Mumm, 19 Richard Brown, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Berrick Barnes, 22 Anthony Fainga'a.

- © Fairfax NZ News