Dinged Dingo quick to switch focus to ABs
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Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has been quick to switch the focus to the fascinating Tri-Nations decider against the All Blacks in Brisbane rather than publicly put the microscope over Australia's worst-ever test defeat at the hands of a rampant Springboks side. 
Boks thrash Wallabies
The Wallabies capitulated 8-53 to the Boks in Johannesburg, conceding eight tries and managing just one second half touchdown themselves.
This was simply an awful Wallabies' effort against a Boks side that finally managed to flow some moves together under the adventurous approach preached by Peter de Villiers.
But the remarkable result has done nothing to alter the Tri-Nations table - the September 13 showdown between the Wallabies and All Blacks in Brisbane will be a winner-takes-all affair.
The Boks finished their participation in the tournament with a hugely satisfying if somewhat surprising bonus point victory. That left them in third place on 10 points. The All Blacks have 14 points and the Wallabies 13.
The All Blacks also have the momentum of two consecutive wins, including their own demolition of the Wallabies at Eden Park.
Having beaten the Boks last weekend in Durban the Wallabies' performance at altitude was bemusing and it brought a record that is a major blemish on the Deans CV.
But in being without five regular starters, including influential loose forward George Smith, there are indications that the Wallabies have kept some of their most important powder dry for the All Blacks.
"It was a great win, a good performance by the Springboks," Deans told media after the disaster.
"They got in the game and built some momentum, while we dropped off.
"A test is a test. I'm not concerned with the numbers (score), but it hurts if you lose.
"We will rather focus on what is a great opportunity for us," he said of the looming showdown with New Zealand.
The Wallabies had the consolation of winning the Mandela Plate by beating the Boks 2-1 in their indibvidual series. Importantly they still have a chance at some even bigger silverware - the Tri-Nations trophy and the Bledisloe Cup.
"I guess what's evident is how much it took us to lift the Mandela silverware so we've achieved something and we've got the opportunity to go on and achieve more so we'll hang on to that," said Deans.
"We've got the opportunity now to regroup and get back and focus on what is a fantastic opportunity in Brisbane."
Wallabies skipper Stirling Mortlock wasn't hiding his disappointment as his team failed to front up after securing their first win in South Africa in eight years last week.
"It's disappointing to lose like this," said Mortlock.
"But the Boks came at us with absolutely all guns blazing.
"One never comes to a field expecting that kind of score to be put past you.
"All credit to the Boks. Every time they created they used the opportunities and every time we were turned over they punished us."
This year's Tri-Nations has been highlighted by the topsy-turvy nature of the results.
Both the All Blacks and Wallabies have suffered two losses while the Boks recovered from a three-match losing streak to win just their second test of the championship.
That will have eased some of the heat being applied to rookie coach Peter de Villiers.
He certainly has an ally in Deans who believed the close nature of the tournament was drawing undue scrutiny on everyone.
"The Springboks are world champions. The reality of this industry is that someone has to be the bottom side in the Tri-Nations but that doesn't mean they're a bad side," said Deans.
"We've already seen in this tournament how little it takes to go from being a victor and enjoying the experience to a loser and not enjoying the experience."
The Wallabies travel home now and have next weekend off to lick their wounds and regroup.
It will be interesting to see how Deans reacts to the strange twists from his side in their last three tests.
The All Blacks play a warmup test against a weak Samoan side in New Plymouth on Wednesday night before heading to Brisbane on Sunday to focus fully on the Wallabies in their own backyard.
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Another article banging on add nauseum about how the Aussies lacked 5 regular starters in SA. Well the Boks lacked 4, 5 starters if you count Jaques Fourie. And Smith came on for Waugh in that game.
Some credit from the Coutry of Choke would be good, especially if you choke against the Aussies in Brisbane! Here's hoping.
Any player knows that after a defeat like that, the first thing you want to do is play another game to right the wrongs. Aus will be fired up for the Brisbane game, not sulking.
Regarding Dean's attitude he is spot on, regardless of the result against SA, Brisbane was always going to be winner takes all.
If Australia win the 3N and Bled cup, then nobody (except South Africans) will care one bit about the 53-8 scoreline.
Yesterday's result showed one thing more than anything else; the Wallabies have won their games during this year's TriNations because of poor showings by their opposition. As soon as the All Blacks or the Springboks have wised up and turned up the heat, the Aussies have been nailed. A gameplan based on two pillars is very easy to crumble, and yesterday we saw very quiet games from the usually strong axes of Elsom and the Breakdown Crew and the very sub-par Matt Giteau. Deans can try and media this thing away, but the fact remains that he's in charge of an averagely talented squad and he now faces the task of duct-taping his broken boys together to face a fresh and rampant All Black side.
Aussies are very good at maintaining confidence, irrespective of results. NZ would be all over the ABs and the coaches if we endured our biggest ever loss. Perhaps we should watch just how quickly the aussies move on, and learn a thing or 2.
Still, it would appear Dingo's halo is not quite as shiny, as the furious buffers in the nz media made it appear. A coach is a small part of the equation. At the top level, its about who turns up on the day.
Go the ABs.
Very clever move to quickly switch the focus to the "fascinating Tri-Nations decider", Dingo. Spot on. Why would you want to dwell on a nasty 53-point demolition like that? Far better to consign it to history one second after the final whistle.
As a fellow Kiwi, thank you Robbie for the way you're handling the Wallabies. Keep it up till after the next world cup, mate, that was brilliant this morning. Fantastic. I just hope your contract isn't performance-based.
Timana Tahu has said he first looked to play union for a NZ franchise but was not wanted. Now we know why. Robbie Deans wanted to be NZ coach, but wasn't wanted. Now we know why. Phil Waugh has usually been left on the bench so that George Smiith could start. Now we know why.
TOTALLY AGREE with comments 1 and 3.
The Wallabies' lack of depth was cruelly exposed, especially after the 5 changes to the Newlands line up. The only conclusion is that Deans must be sparing key players; it was a dead rubber after all. The senior players of the Boks took a major hand in affairs on the field though. They must have cocked a deaf ear to the coach's instructions in the first half, because we saw structure and direct rugby for a change. Once they got on top of the Wallabie pack, there was no holding them. This was a Bok side with their backs to the wall opposed by a sub-par Wallabie outfit, so the result can't be a true reflection of relative strength. The approach from Peter de Villiers, from here on in, will be far more interesting to watch. If he's as smart as he undoubtedly thinks he is, there will be no mistaking the message his players sent him from the park. The end of year tour to Europe may just reveal, that, this Bok coach needs to stay out of the way of his talented squad. At least till he earns permanent buy-in from the senior players.
Is it me or is Robbie Deans a smug little chancer; a defeat like that warrants an investigation. I hope the AB's wipe the smile of the little blue eyed boy from Cantab...coaching the wallabies...a disgrace
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This is my perspective, a 45 point margin beating is not good enough and pretty pathetic, now just because Australia Rugby Union dont have a tough enough development system to help players to be mentally tough & skilled to confront major test matches such as Tri Nations over the last 12 years has nothing to do with your comparison of the Kangaroos vs the Kiwis or OZ cricket team beating NZ. Australia has similar registered rugby player numbers to NZ and considering there are thousands of Kiwis moving to OZ over the last 25 years there is also enough potential talent.Australia's attitude to rugby is their own weakness,You watch they are on Home ground in Brisbane and they will play like their live's depended on it and I can promise you that the All Blacks will not lose by 45 points all I can say is that they may lose.