It was inevitable Robbie Deans would eventually erupt. There is only so much bad karma a coach under pressure can take.
As the sequences of losses to the All Blacks keeps getting longer, Deans has attempted to retain his dignity, even when he's been burning up inside.
Deans has often been irritated at post-match media conferences, but retains the appearance of an Easter Island statue. Giving nothing away, he refuses to provide big, black headlines. He's too smart.
He repeatedly sidesteps controversial issues, even when infuriated. Privately, referees can irk him, especially those times when he believes they have treated his players unreasonably. But he constantly refuses to get sucked into vilifying the whistleblower.
Until Saturday, when he decided enough was enough. Without prompting, Deans made it obvious he thought South African referee Mark Lawrence, who is also an amateur magician, should focus on pulling rabbits out of someone else's hat. Without prompting, Deans changed the flow of the media conference, by asking: ''Can anyone tell me what the penalty count was?''
Not for the first time in our careers, we all looked dumbfounded. No answer was forthcoming. So Deans carried on.
''Well, I'd be surprised if it wasn't well and truly in favour of the Wallabies. I know the first six penalties - four of them were in the red zone - and there probably should have been a couple of others where the ball was lifted out of the rucks one metre short of the line,'' Deans said.
''That was frustrating, particularly when you're playing a fixture in Tokyo where you're trying to promote the game. I don't think it contributed well to the game.''
The Wallabies did win the penalties 13-9, but the complaint revolved around the All Blacks getting away with far too many illegalities at the breakdown, including pilfering hands in the ruck, while their captain Richie McCaw often acted with menace from a repeatedly offside position. Again McCaw was a ''protected species'' and certain Wallabies are getting peeved by that, believing they do not get the same privileges.
The Wallabies know that all the stars have to be aligned for them to beat the All Blacks and when numerous yellow-card incidents are ignored, it just makes their task that much harder. Sure, the Wallabies did not help themselves when their lineout work was so shoddy, for the fifth time in six trans-Tasman matches being unable to kick on from a half-time lead, while they went through their usual routine of repeatedly handing over possession at the breakdown, especially in the All Blacks' quarter.
But Deans's complaints are justified. Lawrence did the Wallabies no favours. The number of All Blacks in the sin bin should not have been restricted to one - Sitiveni Sivivatu for attacking Adam Ashley-Cooper in the air with a silly tackle just before the half-time break. Several other New Zealanders should have also had 10 minutes' rest and, as occurred when Sivivatu left the field, the Wallabies could have experienced greater rewards.
The Wallabies are now wondering if it is just part of the deal of playing Bledisloe Cups at neutral venues in Asia - last year Irish referee Alan Lewis stitched up the Wallabies big time in Hong Kong with an abominable performance. As Deans knows full well, when a team constantly loses, nothing seems to go your way. Surely the luck has to finally turn. Maybe the grand-slam leg of the tour can provide some reprieve.
Maybe not. As he departed National Stadium, Deans said he had just been told the weather forecast for the team's first week in London. It's apparently going to be wet, miserable, an absolute howler.
Not for the last time on this tour, Deans laughed mockingly and shook his head in disbelief.
Go watch the CC final and the way Brussouw and Stegman played the rucks. Still try to figure out which one was the biggest cheat. Thats the rule now, stay on your feet and you can poach but hope Bakkies dont run into you. :nta:
