This. But if true then the expectation is that this year Deans will bring back into the mix some more adventurous play. He has the personnel and frankly I think he would be mad not to for all the reasons others have tabled, including the need in Aussie for rugby to be exciting and open.
What I have seen from the Lions so far tells me we can't rely on tiring them out. We can't rely on them being useless on attack. They have genuine threats across the park and are looking bloody dangerous.
Athilnaur, I would think any coaching group seeing how impressively the Lions' attack is starting to gel (eg, the competence that are showing in defence to attack transition, the good quality of their ball in hand work through the backs, the silk of BO'D, and their counter-attack (see Reds game) strength from their best back three), would know that the type of 'conservative/low risk' game plan the Wallabies have played since the RWC could be dangerously exposed vs the Lions.
The question then becomes: how quickly and competently in the space of 3 weeks and with no warm-up games, can the Wallabies design and be confident of executing under intense Test pressure new 'more adventurous' attacking strategies and specific back line moves?
What is obvious to me is that the BIL coaches dealing with attack and back line work have done a simply excellent job in getting such a disparate group of backs into (mostly) such impressively coherent attacking play as we have seen so far. The silly pre-June notion advanced by some that the BIL 'meat slabs' were only capable of a grinding, forwards-based game style has been exposed as totally misplaced.
Whilst there has been endless speculation here re team design, a bigger issue for the Wallabies sits behind all this. Namely, for our team, in the time available, to design and thoroughly practice far more innovative attacking strategies and tactics than it has shown in more than two years will necessarily take a very competent specialist attack/backs coaching capability. Let's be positive as to potential, but there is simply no evidence that we possess this capability, or, perhaps more importantly, ever had any desire to possess it. R Graham - as a semi, sort-of but not designated backs coach - was let go to the Force in late 2010, he was not directly replaced. No one quite knows what the very lightly experienced Scrivener's specialised role is with the Wallaby team. As I have posted before essentially, since 2008, Deans has himself assumed the role of backs and attack coach.
So, given the obvious need to deal with an emerging power in the BIL attacking patterns and backs skills, what will be fascinating to observe is what if any more dynamic, cunning and 'adventurous' attack and back line plays the Wallabies roll out on June 22. IMO, the key here will not be selections and playing positions, but will be evidence of the capabilities of the Wallabies' entire coaching group, especially those support coaches (if any) designated internally to develop the Wallabies 2013 attack.
