Wallabies' fitness worries Deans
The Wallabies lack match practice and will be “underdone” for their final Bledisloe Cup match against New Zealand in Hong Kong next week, coach Robbie Deans warned on Friday.
The Wallabies lack match practice and will be “underdone” for their final Bledisloe Cup match against New Zealand in Hong Kong next week, coach Robbie Deans warned on Friday.
The Wallabies leave Australia on Monday for a six-match tour, starting with the first offshore Bledisloe Cup Test between the trans-Tasman rivals in Hong Kong on November 1.
Deans conceded the All Blacks will have superior match fitness, with their players involved in their domestic competition and boosted by a 56-10 trial win against the New Zealand Barbarians last Wednesday.
In contrast, since the international season finished over a month ago, the Wallabies have been restricted to four fitness camps in Sydney.
“I do concede they (New Zealand) have the advantage, because they're match-hardened and we're not,” Deans told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“But it's not a major concern because we've done what we've wanted in these training camps.
“It's been a bit of a juggling act in terms of conditioning and preparing for games.
“So we will be underdone for that first game, and that's why we have to maximise the time we do have to ensure we get into the right space mentally and physically.”
Deans said having had the training camps will work in the Wallabies' favour for their ensuing tour games against Italy, England, France, Wales and the Barbarians.
The New Zealand-born coach, the first foreigner to take the helm of the Australian side, said he wants to experiment with young players in a bid to evaluate whether more fringe candidates are ready for international rugby.
He will use the tour to test out five new players, including 18-year-old Western Force utility back James O'Connor, who is poised to become the second youngest player ever to play for Australia.
The youngest-ever Wallaby was Queensland winger Brian Ford, who was 18 years and 90 days when he appeared against New Zealand at Brisbane in 1957.
The other Wallaby newcomers in the 34-man touring party are Western Force openside flanker David Pocock, Reds fly-half Quade Cooper, Waratahs prop Sekope Kepu and Brumbies' lock Peter Kimlin.
Kimlin, who was called up as a replacement for injured lock James Horwill, is the thirteenth new player to be introduced to the squad in Deans' debut season as Wallabies' coach.
Winger Lote Tuqiri underwent a fitness test on Thursday following recent minor knee surgery but a decision has not yet been made on whether he will tour.