• Howick and Pakuranga Times
CALL me paranoid, but I’ve got a sickening feeling Robbie Deans might do a dirty on the All Blacks at the 2011 World Cup.
Having lost 7-zip to New Zealand after one solitary test win, Deans’ hopes of achieving that would appear on par with that of Tom Thumb winning the world heavyweight boxing crown.
But let’s not forget that when he took the Australian coaching job after his brilliant stint with the Crusaders, he inherited a jellyfish scrum along with some international babes who had barely completed their potty training.
Now there’s real starch in that scrum, thanks largely to loosehead Benn Robinson who buckled muscular Neemia Tialata in last Saturday’s 32-19 triumph in Tokyo, when the Wallabies hit the breakdown en masse, scored a controversial try to Peter Hynes and conceded two to Sitiveni Sivivatu and Conrad Smith.
In the end it was Daniel Carter’s magnificent boot in notching 22 points that made the All Blacks superiority appear greater than it was.
With former stars George Gregan and Stephen Larkham gone, Stirling Mortlock injured and George Smith relegated to the reserves, new captain Rocky Elsom must feel like a boy Scouts leader when he looks at baby-face James O’Connor and his mates.
It didn’t help that clever playmaker Berrick Barnes missed the Tokyo showdown in which versatile Adam Ashley-Cooper confirmed his class, O’Connor regained his confidence and halfback Will Genia demonstrated a few attacking tricks even the great Gregan never possessed.
Bring back the muscular Mortlock, so often the scourge of the All Blacks, and the Wallabies will be that much more formidable under the battle plan devised by a Cantabrian the Aussies have aptly named ‘Dingo’.
Meanwhile, Graham Henry, Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen continue to hold most of the trumps despite playing musical chairs with their coaching roles.
Over the past two tests Otago’s Tom Donnelly and Adam Thomson have fixed what had been a wonky lineout, as well as showing up well in general play.
Yet while Donnelly and powerhouse fellow lock Brad Thorn are doing a grand job, there’s no guarantee they’ll be the top two.
Even though next year the likes of Ali Williams and Chris Jack join Anthony Boric, Jason Eaton and Isaac Ross in making their challenge for a second row position.
With skipper Richie McCaw handling twice in contributing to Sivivatu’s superb try, his future loose forward combination with the rangy Thomson and Kieran Read looks certain to serve New Zealand well.
While McCaw and Carter remain the superstars, the depth is building.
Jimmy Cowan, Ma’a Nonu, Smith and Mils Muliaina look to be back to their best and Cory Jane has demonstrated classy attacking touches to show why he’s superseded Joe Rokocoko for now.
With Zac Guildford expected to make his All Black debut against Wales, hopefully fellow newcomers Mike Delaney and Ben Smith will get their chance against Italy and the Barbarians if they’re not trusted against England and France.
