Deans not concerned about numbers

In the wake of Australia's biggest ever Test loss to South Africa, Wallaby coach Robbie Deans insisted that he was not concerned with statistics, saying his team would have an opportunity in two weeks to show to progress they have made.

In the wake of Australia's biggest ever Test loss to South Africa, Wallaby coach Robbie Deans insisted that he was not concerned with statistics, saying his team would have an opportunity in two weeks to show to progress they have made.

The Wallabies face the All Blacks in the deciding Tri-Nations Test in two weeks, but will first have to shake off the disappointment of not being able to win successive Tests in South Africa for the first time in 45 years, their goal before the match in Johannesburg.

The Australians did not fool themselves by thinking they could win at Ellis Park for the first time since 1963, but they would have been fooling themselves if they thought they could win by playing the way they did.

“I'm not too concerned about the numbers to be frank. It hurts when you lose. You can chase the statistics all you like,” a deeply disappointed Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said.

“It's not dissimilar to our performance in Sydney (a 34-19 win against the All Blacks). Someone mentioned, statistically, it was the best performance by the Wallabies and yet the next week we were belted. That's the way it is.

“I guess the only redeeming feature is that it is evident how much it took for us to lift the Mandela silverware. We achieved something and we have the opportunity to go on and achieve more.

“We will hang on to that. Obviously, we won't be taking too much out of this other than the things we dropped off on.”

The loss was a huge turnaround from the Wallabies' 27-15 win in Durban the previous Saturday, their first win in South Africa in eight years.

Deans made five changes to that team, although two were forced by shoulder injuries to second-rower Dan Vickerman and inside centre Berrick Barnes.

The decision to start Tatafu Polota-Nau at hooker instead of Stephen Moore was a gamble that backfired.

Polota-Nau's poor line-out throwing continued from where it left off in Auckland a month ago, and it placed the Wallabies under undue pressure.

“We weren't accurate there,” Deans said.

“The Springboks profited a lot from our inaccuracy without a doubt. It was as much about what we did as anything.”

The Wallabies had opportunities to score early but prop Matt Dunning was held up over the line and winger Lote Tuqiri dropped a ball with the try-line beckoning. The Springboks however grabbed their opportunities with both hands.

“Once they got under way they were very effective,” Deans said.

“They played with a lot of confidence, as you do when you've been suffering for a while and you start to get a roll on and you become very difficult to stop.

“We didn't help ourselves to that end. Most importantly it was what we did with the possession we had and obviously the defence dropped away.

“We had some possession early. Looked threatening. Didn't finish. The reverse of last week in many ways. It might have helped the mindset, ours and theirs, if we had scored early. It's done. Done and dusted.

“They kicked us a lot of ball and we kicked it back to them. We didn't produce any pressure from that. And with that lack of pressure they started to play.”

In their two previous wins against the Springboks, the Wallabies won the battle of the breakdown, but the much-maligned South African back-row of Schalk Burger, Juan Smith and Pierre Spies completely outplayed the Australian loose forwards.

“That threat has always been there,” Deans said of the Springboks' back-row.

“If you allow them to run … they are big men. They are capable. They make headway over the gain line and then they can play.

“They get their arms free and the people around them grow in confidence. “It draws more people to that area to stem the tide and it presents an opportunity wider.”

The most disappointing aspect of the Wallabies' performance was that when the game got away from them they appeared to give up, succumbing to the effects of high altitude.

In previous games, one of the hallmarks of the Wallabies' play was their scrambling defence, but this time it was non-existent.

Towards the end of the game the Australians could not even make their first-up tackles and conceded some of the softest tries they have ever let in.

“It was disappointing, disappointing and disappointing,” Deans said.

“The degree doesn't matter. You lose a Test match, you come second. I don't go home and look at the score. Quite often I'm not conscious of the scoreboard.

“Possibly we became a little bit outcome-oriented in our approach to the game because when the outcome went so did some of the effort. We have to address those things.”

Deans has two weeks to lift the Wallabies to play the All Blacks in the Tri-Nations decider in Brisbane.

“We have genuinely started something,” he said.

“We've picked up something to show for it along the way, but the thing we'd really like to show for it is ahead of us.

“It's always good to get the confirmation that we are making progress and I guess we've got the opportunity in two weeks to show that we have made some headway.”

Deans has been critical of the Wallabies for “undulating” in their performances in the Tri-Nations, but he refused to entertain the notion they were due for another win.

“I'm presuming nothing,” he said.

“The fact we have been up and down means nothing. It doesn't mean we will be up next time. [But] it can be done.”

Deans did not have much to say to the Wallabies immediately after the game.

“It wasn't a great moment for words, to be honest,” he said.

“You can't fix these things with words. You have to feel it because it's real, so these boys are feeling it. “If that serves us well, that's good, but we won't be able to fix it with words.

“It's a bit like when you touch a flame and you get burned. You don't generally go back there. It's what we do from here. We are lucky we have an opportunity.

“The good thing is we have two weeks. It's been a good tour, bar the last few hours. Get home. Catch up with family and friends. Get some down time. Recharge.

“And then they'll start thinking about what can be done. We'll gather and we'll put some of those thoughts into action.

“The Tri-Nations isn't over. It's a one-off encounter. One game that can make their season good. Whether they can do it remains to be seen.”

Deans confirmed that Vickerman would definitely miss the Test with the All Blacks, while Barnes was unlikely to be fit. Prop Benn Robinson is also doubtful after coming off with an injured hand on Saturday.