Robbie the reject slams NZ's Cup fixation

Fairfax Media

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An obsession with winning the World Cup has been the downfall of the All Blacks, new Wallabies coach Robbie Deans believes.

The first foreigner to take charge of the Australian team, Deans wants the Wallabies to focus on winning "every week" if they can, rather than falling into the trap of gearing everything towards the World Cup.

Deans, an assistant coach of the All Blacks side bundled out of the 2003 World Cup by Australia at the semi-final stage, pointed to this year's New Zealand side as a case to prove his point.

In the World Cup in France, the All Blacks, coached by Graham Henry - who was re-appointed, despite Deans applying for the position - were knocked out by the hosts in the quarter-finals.

Asked if the focus on the quadrennial tournament could be detrimental to the intermediate goals of a test side, Deans said: "There is no doubt that has been the case. Some outfits have based their approach on the World Cup, for example, and been prepared to sacrifice in between. I don't think, personally, that caters for the long term.

"We have just seen a great example with the All Blacks, where their emphasis actually became a distraction. It became an obsession and larger in their own minds than it should have been. It became counter-productive."

Deans wants the Wallabies to recognise the importance of winning tests regularly and developing over four years.

"[Winning] every week would be great, absolutely," he said.

"If you keep building, you will be in the best state possible come that challenge [of the World Cup]. You can't deal with that challenge until it is in front of you. You have to live the moment along the way."

Deans's relations with the New Zealand Rugby Union have been strained, despite the union giving him permission to continue coaching the Crusaders next year having accepted the Wallabies job.

Many New Zealanders are incredulous that Deans was overlooked in favour of Henry, whose side fared worse this year than the 2003 All Blacks.

At his All Blacks interview, much of the questioning of Deans focused on the 2003 World Cup. "That was inevitable ... because that was some prior involvement that I had at that level," said Deans.

Asked if he tried to steer conversation towards the All Blacks' World Cup failure this year, Deans smiled, then replied: "No ... I wanted them to want me for what I brought as opposed to because they felt the alternative [Henry] wasn't better. They want me for me. No doubt I have got that here [with the Wallabies].

"What I tried to do was to get them [the NZRU] to assess me on my own performance, my own work on campaigns that I was responsible and accountable for."

- © Fairfax NZ News