Tuqiri gets the silent treatment

Wallabies winger Lote Tuqiri is not used to getting the silent treatment and hopes to get more than raised eyebrows from Australia coach Robbie Deans.

Wallabies winger Lote Tuqiri is not used to getting the silent treatment and hopes to get more than raised eyebrows from Australia coach Robbie Deans at the team's practice session.

The Wallabies had their first training session under their New Zealand-born coach, a one and a half hour skills session at Manly Oval.

“He (Deans) doesn't really talk that much, I've walked past him a couple of times and it was just a raise of the eyebrows,” Tuqiri told AAP.

“Over the next couple of weeks it will be interesting to have a few more chats and see what makes him tick and vice versa.

“He was obviously very successful at the Crusaders and hopefully he can bring some of that success and that formula of success to the Wallabies.”

Wallaby flanker Rocky Elsom expects his new mentor to instil a work ethic in the team.

The Waratahs' star noted the Crusaders displayed a very high work rate at the tail end of another successful season, which culminated in yet another Super 14 title.

“Some of the games where they probably weren't as sharp in attack, they really ground teams down and that's probably a lot to do with their fitness,” said Elsom.

“Robbie seams to have done a really good job in getting them all on the same page and very unified in the way they attack.

“It's a difficult job given that they have only just finished the (Super 14) season, now we've got a Test on Saturday week, you would think that was the sign of the kind of stuff he will try and mould with us.

“It's just instilling a better work effort and just getting more touches on the footy, guys getting more involved and being able to grind out the other side.

“That was a big focus that the Crusaders had and it worked perfectly for them because they pretty well did that to every side they played.”

Elsom, who has yet to re-sign with the Waratahs, stressed he was no closer to making a decision on his future, though he hoped it would be “sooner rather than later.”