Deans likes Tahs' ugly artwork
Rupert Guinness | February 26, 2009
WARATAHS critics should listen to the most successful coach in Super 14 rugby, Wallabies coach Robbie Deans, who says winning "ugly" - as NSW have been accused of doing - is part and parcel of claiming the title.
Deans, who coached the Crusaders to five of their seven Super crowns, hasn't been surprised by the tough and tight games in this year's tournament, such as the Waratahs' round-two win against the Chiefs last Friday night.
"I recall in 2002, the first couple of rounds we won ugly and we were getting grief. In the end the side went through unbeaten and everyone was happy," Deans said on this week's
www.ruggamatrix.com podcast. "Winning is an art, and sometimes to get that confidence, rhythm and flow into your game you have to grind a few out until the anxiety levels dissipate and you can start playing with a little bit of confidence."
Deans said it took most teams several weeks to develop the confidence to play more expansively in match conditions. "It's a big jolt when you go from pre-season and hit the competition," he said. "Some of the skills are often the first thing to suffer, particularly with a bit of sweat on the ball and moisture on the hits [tackles]. The hits go up and there is a little bit of inaccuracy in that. The [No.10] tends to feel the stress a little, shorten up their options and decision-making. So it doesn't make for great spectacles."
He said teams needed to start the Super 14 season with a game that was easy to build on with fresh and innovative patterns as skills and momentum picked up along with the intensity of competition in the latter rounds. "You can't play one-dimensional from the start to the end and hope to be successful. In this competition you just can't do that," he said.
Deans, who was an interested observer at Waratahs training yesterday and spent 40 minutes talking with NSW coach Chris Hickey, also revealed that he had been impressed with NSW centre Timana Tahu's progress.
Tahu has been benched for tomorrow night's round-three game against the Highlanders at the SFS to ease the load on his troublesome hamstrings, but Deans has already seen that his confidence is high. Citing Tahu's try last Friday off a Kurtley Beale kick, Deans said: "He is more comfortable and that is evident. These are good signs because when he is comfortable he is clearly a very capable player."
