Lions have 'huge advantage': Deans
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has defended a controversial training camp ahead of the British and Irish Lions tour, saying the tourists have a "huge advantage" in the three-Test series.
Deans made no apologies for putting a 25-man squad into an extended three-week camp and making them off limits to their Super Rugby franchises in the build-up to the first Test in Brisbane on the June 22.
While the Wallabies will come together on June 2, the Lions will play three matches together in that time on their tour Down Under.
Deans said he had hoped to have one warm-up match during the camp, like Rod Macqueen's 2001 team who played New Zealand Maori before a 2-1 series win against the Lions.
But it will not happen and he will make do with high-contact opposed sessions in training.
Deans, facing his biggest series as Wallabies coach, rated Australia's preparation as the "shortest in the history of the game for a Lions series".
"You go back to 2001 and the Wallabies had similar time (to prepare) but with a (warm-up) game, so it was obviously a more complete prep, and they got spanked in the first Test," Deans told reporters.
"Rod Macqueen, who spoke with us recently, quite openly conceded that the preparation wasn't adequate, and he's genuinely concerned by what we're confronted with.
"There's no doubt the Lions will have a huge advantage in terms of entering the series."
Macqueen said he spoke to Australia's extended 49-man squad at a logistics camp in January about the intensity and magnitude of the series against the Lions, and underlined the ferocity of the 29-13 opening loss at Brisbane's Gabba in 2001.
The Waratahs, Brumbies, Melbourne Rebels and Reds all wanted to have their star players available for Super Rugby matches on June 7-9.
Comments
TVaddict says...
@OzinLondon
Really? Why would I only reply to you as opposed to everyone else that disagreed with me? Strange one that!
Considering I was answering your "I would have backed them to win regardless of preparation time" comment I don't see why the situations you suggest are relevant. However, since you raise another issue then I'd back them them if both had no preparation time (i.e. a weeks training or less). After 4 warm up games and 5 weeks I'd back the SH team as the three teams involved are the top 3 teams in the world...so duh.
Well off the top of my head I 'think' England had a run of success after the 2001 tour. Might have beaten Australia once or twice, possibly in some sort of important tournament. I can't really be bothered to research it now, maybe another time I will, but I think Ireland beat South Africa a few month after the last lions tour.
It's nice that you find hilarity in such things. Maybe laugh more, and be angry less?
I don't think the state of Australian rugby is that bad and they have a lot of world class players. However I agree the lions should win and that if they don't then someone should be held accountable. Till then try to cheer up! :)
Posted 12:19 09th March 2013
rugby_rockstar says...
its still not a great record through, Lions tours hold the same attraction as hearing about Scott of the Antartic. Massive challenge which usually ends in disarster. Chances are that you will crash and burn but its the way you conduct yourself that creates legends, and if by some miricle you do pull it off... HERO TIME!!!!! we're talking Agincourt, Rorke's Drift and Gloucester Hill in Korea all rolled into one.
Posted 11:34 08th March 2013
OzinLondon says...
TVaddict
I'm quite calm. I see you come from the school of thought that anyone who disagrees with you must be frothing at the mouth (as well as the "Poor Lions, we are so disadvantaged" school of thought).
"I would expect any home nation to beat a complete mix of your three countries with no preparation time." Really? Do you mean if both teams had no preparation time at all or just the SH team?
How about if the SH team had 4 warm up games and 5 weeks of training together? Still "expect" a win?
There are "many examples of lions teams losing where one of the home nations would have won."... Again, really? "Many" examples? I'm not sure how that figures when Scotland has only beaten Aus, NZ or SA in their own country once since 1982 and Wales and Ireland haven't managed it at all since 1987 and 1979 respectively. Maybe you are counting on England who have had some success down south (I think 5 wins since 1973). Please give me examples of the plethora of times that a Home Nations team would have succeeded in a 3 match series in NZ, Aus or SA where the Lions failed.
I stand by my view. Its hilarious that you all cling to excuses before a minute of rugby has been played (and get so tetchy when Deans dares to suggest an advantage to the Lions).
I will be fully behind the Wallas in a few months. They are up against it but I think they can win the series if they can set the tempo ... but to be honest, with talent available, if the Lions can't win this series with Aus rugby in its current state (badly administered and with only a couple of players who might be considered truly world class) then all involved should take a long hard look at themselves.
Anyway, I'm off to drink more and get angry.
Posted 10:44 08th March 2013
Jester says...
@ArmchairGeneral what I'm saying is the Lions have a better touring record then England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland combined. What is so hard to understand? yes the Lions are better than England historically for example they have won a series against the All Blacks and Boks. Do you have any facts to back up your statement cause I have. Take emotion out of it and you will come to the same conclusion. Cheers
Posted 06:25 08th March 2013
ABlack says...
The aussies will win 2-1.
Gatland will pick a hybrid team from the 4 nations to keep each of the respective Unions happy and they will lose the series accordingly.
England are clearly the best team andhave the best players in the 4 countries but im betting there wont be more than 5-7 Poms in the test starting 15 , and thats when things will go titsup for the pussycats team
Posted 05:46 08th March 2013
Tvaddict says...
@ OzinLondon
Wow, calm down mate! Had a few when you wrote that?
I'm guessing you lack a basic understanding of rugby if you think preparation time doesn't matter. If you could arrange it I would expect any home nation to beat a complete mix of your three countries with no preparation time. And no the combination would not be better, rugby is a team sport and there have been many examples of lions teams losing where one of the home nations would have won.
I'm not sure if you get banter considering your angry reply, but most of the NH vs SH stuff is just a joke.
Anyway, the lions are obviously more disadvantaged that Australia, he's just starting the mind games early.
Posted 01:59 08th March 2013
Trader2 says...
A SH team wanting to play underdog to a team from the north. A very sad day indeed but given the quality of the Oz S15 sides on show so far this season, probably about right.
APV1 "knocking lumps out of each other"? those handbags must have lead in them then.
Posted 22:34 07th March 2013
Fatflanker says...
Nooooo...three weeks of contested training is way too long. There'll be injuries all over the park. In all seriousness, Dingo will have the best Oz line-up available for many a year and if he isn't quietly confident going into this series he needs to pass the cap.
Posted 21:41 07th March 2013
heart_of_oak says...
rugby_rockstar - so Deans uses a donkey to make his speeches ?
Posted 18:21 07th March 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
Do you exist Jester? Descartes "I think therefore I am" must tie you in knots. Then again, I suppose not.
Posted 18:16 07th March 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
And how can you say Lions have 2 years to scheme whereas Oz have no idea what to expect? Do you think? Yes that is a complete question sentence. Do you engage brain? At all?
Posted 18:07 07th March 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
@jester... What??? Lions record being better than home nations combined.?? What do you actually mean? Do you mean averaged home nations combined? Of course it should be given that only England regularly beat Oz. are you saying Lions better than England? You make no sense. And Gatland getting 2 years with Lions you seem to try to say this is closer than Deans is to Oz?? Deans IS the Oz coach!!! He's not pulling together a non-Ozzie team to play the lions. Mind boggling daft comments.
Posted 17:58 07th March 2013
Michtymauler says...
Deans is definitely bottling it! Can't blame him.. I think it's going to be a rout for the Lions playing a mediocre Australia team.. Be prepared for loads of whinging Aussies!! Shoulda went to NZ instead..
Posted 17:47 07th March 2013
OzinLondon says...
APV1
"Or are you just putting down your excuse-marker now?"
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
We've already had 3 years of excuses about why the poor old Lions don't have a chance and how the nasty Aussies aren't doing enough to help them win (how very dare they).
All we heard before and after the last 3 Lions tours were excuses.
Maybe Deans just wanted to fit in with the standard pattern of a Lions tour.
For the record, if a combined AB/SA/Aus team had toured the UK at any time throughout my rugby watching years (now coming up on 34 years) I would have backed them to win regardless of preparation time. Maybe I would have been wrong but I wouldn't have made any excuses beforehand. The best of 4 international teams should always be favourites against one team on it's own (especially if they have 4 warm up games and several weeks of training together).
You guys need to make your mind up... either (1) NH rugby is just as good as SH rugby and therefore should easily put together a combined team to beat a single SH team (after all we keep being told how rubbish Aus is), or (2) when all is said and done, NH rugby is inferior.
I wish Deans hadn't made any comment at all but the response from Lions fans is hilarious... "How dare he steal our excuse! Only the Lions can use that excuse I tells ya!!"
Posted 16:05 07th March 2013
JamieTheProp says...
History isn't with the Lions really - but this time I have a feeling...
Posted 13:15 07th March 2013
Jester says...
The NH fans seems worried that there team might not delivery this series, but all this talk about the Lions being the underdogs is ridiculous. The Lions have a better touring record then all the home unions teams combined! the lions players might have 7 weeks to together but the coach has had at least 2 years to prepare and scheme. While the host nation has no Idea what to expect. I haven't decided whom I'm going to support but I'm sure the series is going to be a cracker best of luck to both teams.
Posted 12:38 07th March 2013
tashty says...
@rugby_rockstar- well said, couldn't agree more!
Posted 11:27 07th March 2013
2eyedkiwi says...
yawn
Posted 11:11 07th March 2013
stugur says...
Does this mean the provincial midweek teams will be without their Wallabies?
Posted 10:37 07th March 2013
APV1 says...
"There's no doubt the Lions will have a huge advantage in terms of entering the series."
Just soundbites for the press, Dingo.
The Lions don't have much time together and spend the other 3 years, 10 months knocking lumps out of each other too. So I think we'll call it about evens on the preparation shall we?
Or are you just putting down your excuse-marker now?
Posted 10:26 07th March 2013