'I'm off' says Robbie Deans

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HE'S IN: Robbie Deans has been confirmed as the new All Blacks coach.

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Six million dollar man Robbie Deans will rebuild the Wallabies to exact World Cup utu on the All Blacks bosses who snubbed him for the coaching spot.

Contact is expected to be made between the Australian Rugby Union and Deans within the next few days.

Once that happens, Deans will officially enter the race to sign a deal to mastermind the Wallabies challenge for the 2011 World Cup.

Reports across the Tasman have suggested Deans the hottest property in world coaching will be paid $1 million a year plus hefty Tri-nations and World Cup bonuses.

Speaking exclusively to Sunday News yesterday, Deans who 24 hours earlier had been cast aside by the NZRU board for the All Blacks post, with them instead reinstating Graham Henry said "there's no doubt" he is seriously considering offering his services to the Aussies.

"They are aware I am ready and keen to coach at international level again," Deans said last night. "They've always known once the All Blacks decision was resolved (the Wallabies) could interest me."

Deans was the people's choice to win the All Blacks post on Friday, after Henry had led the All Blacks to their worst-ever World Cup performance a quarterfinal exit.

But his road to getting the top job was always going to be difficult.

Deans' relationship with Steve Tew the NZRU's deputy CEO who takes on the top job next month has been described as "challenging".

Sunday News can reveal Tew as well as three other members of the NZRU management and executive sat in on Deans' interview with the board even though they had no vote to cast.

Deans who refused to confirm who was in the room would garner only one vote of the eight available, despite being New Zealand's most successful coach in the professional era with four Super rugby titles with the Crusaders .

"You enter these processes in good faith and you hope that you have a good chance, and you work to that end and hope you present yourself in a way that launches a bit of belief on the other side of the table," Deans said.

"What I was seeking from the process was to find out what they wanted. If they wanted me that would have been great but I found out they didn't. So I learnt what I went into it to learn, so it's time to move on."

It's clear the NZRU's executive had a major sway over the board. And it's also clear that had the board gone against the executive's wishes to reinstate Henry for another two years, the executive would have struggled to embrace Deans.

"They have given a very clear steer certainly from an executive and management level that I am not their preference," Deans said. "I think it's fair to conclude that even if it was deemed to be a contestable process in two years' time, the likelihood of me being successful is very remote."

Given the pro-Henry attitude of the NZRU's executive, Sunday News asked Deans if there was some relief that having missed out on the job, he wouldn't have to work with people who had actively worked against him in recent weeks.

"No one likes to be somewhere where they are not wanted it makes the experience a poor one and makes it challenging to the point of being unattainable," he said.

"I'm not suggesting that's the way it would have been. I have no doubt I could have worked effectively and constructively with the people around me. But if you suggest that's the way it could have been then you wouldn't knowingly be keen on entering that environment.

"It's not just about just getting the position. It's not just about just being there. It's not about just getting the jersey or the blazer it's about what you do while you are there. That's the priority. That's what you derive your satisfaction and enjoyment from.

"That's what you walk away with and remember. So it's not a relief in terms of the outcome, it is more of a relief in terms of the clarity.

"It has been a challenging time because the process probably took longer than it should have, which hasn't helped because it has created some divides that were unnecessary."

The decision to reappoint Henry has further divided the rugby community with 64 percent of fans believing Friday's decision was the wrong one, according to Fairfax's dedicated rugby website rugbyheaven.co.nz.

Henry's record suggests he can't rebuild teams once they hit a slump. But his record of 42 wins out of 48 tests coupled with the board's own accountability in rubberstamping Henry's controversial rotation and conditioning policies, served to ensure his reinstatement. But the consequence of Friday's decision could come back and haunt NZRU bosses if Deans takes up the Wallabies post and leads the Australians to Bledisloe or World Cup success.

Deans who played 24 games for the All Blacks in the 80s indicated last night he'd have no problem coaching against NZ.

"I am constantly coaching against players that I have coached and coaching against coaches that I have worked with," he said. "I've been in Sanzar for 11 years so I know as many people in Africa and Australia as I do in New Zealand. So it's not an issue."