Deans: I've got my own worries

Robbie Deans knows what it's like to be dumped from the All Blacks coaching setup but he's not interested in Graham Henry's predicament - he says he's got a big enough challenge with his own job as Wallabies boss.

The two rivals head into an intriguing test in Wellington tomorrow with their sides out to avoid the Tri-Nations' wooden spoon.

The All Blacks, after another sloppy loss to the Springboks, are out to avoid a record third defeat at home that would surely increase pressure on their coaching setup despite their recent reappointment.

Not that Deans is feeling comfortable after a Tri-Nations campaign that has produced a solitary win over the champion Springboks outfit and a second failed attempt to regain the Bledisloe Cup from New Zealand.

But there's a feeling that Deans is being cut a lot more slack across the Tasman in his rebuilding mission to the 2011 World Cup.

He wasn't prepared to comment on the woes of the All Blacks who have won four of eight tests this season, a poor record by their own high standards.

"I don't think about it a lot to be honest," he said of the attention placed on the All Blacks coaches.

"We are busy doing our job and our numbers don't stack up as well. We're pretty keen to do well on Saturday."

Deans wasn't offered the luxury afforded to Henry in the wake of a World Cup disaster.

As an assistant to John Mitchell he was axed in the immediate aftermath to the 2003 semifinal loss against Australia.

Henry, who lost a World Cup quarter-final four years later, held on to his job despite a strong challenge from Deans who had stayed in the New Zealand setup as coach of the champion Crusaders.

The unwanted Deans was quickly snapped up by the Wallabies to ensure the debate over that decision would forever continue and the All Blacks woes this year have only increased the focus on that.

Henry, to his credit, does have a 5-1 record against Deans in the last two years and it's something he will be desperate to extend in Wellington. The beloved Bledisloe Cup is already at NZRU headquarters and a Tri-Nations sweep of the Wallabies awaits.

Deans does acknowledge that scrutiny will always be there, especially in the professional era.

"It's part of the game, it's part of this industry. You can't get away from that. It's part of the territory," he said.

"The key is to chase the things that are important to you and try to enjoy them along the way."

Asked which side of the Tasman had the most scrutiny, he smiled and said: "Both and I get it both sides."

He insisted he was under the microscope and feeling the squeeze in his Wallabies role: "Oh yeah, you want the best all the time. That's the reality.

"But it's not about me. It's about this group playing to their potential and enjoying what they do. I think we are starting to turn that in the right direction. We will keep chasing that.

"I think we as a group are treading better. We got a confirmation of that two weeks ago (by beating the Springboks) and we don't want that to dissipate."

Deans promoted the scrum as proof that progress was being made.

Ben Alexander's elevation to the starting tighthead role had been successful and there was increased respect for an area of the Wallabies game that not so long ago was being ridiculed.

"Benny has just taken every challenge he has had. The scrum is good, we have done a lot of work with the scrum, particularly as a unit and I think it's evident. It's been evident in our performance to date and I think people are recognising that now.

"There's no doubt that we expect the scrum to equip itself really well tomorrow."

- © Fairfax NZ News