Brisbok
Cyril Towers (30)
You are making the assumption that successful coaching at Super Rugby level will automatically result in successful coaching at International level. I seem to remember that same assumption being made with a certain Wallabies coach once before....Deans has so far exhibited diddly fucking squat of those qualities. Link has demonstrated many of them in his tenure with the Tahs and Reds. Remember the 2009/2010 Reds forward pack? 2, perhaps three internationals? Yet they took apart international laden forward packs with ease by being well coached, and working as a team. The perfect example is their dismantling of the Stormers in 2011. Went over there and utterly crushed the Stormers pack by playing a perfectly executed tight grinding game. The next week they rocked up and scored 6 tries.
Or getting the best out of players. Why is Genia superb at Super level, and then mediocre at best, resorting to shit box kicks and slow ruck service? Sure, the quality of the team is higher at Bledisloe level, but they're the same opposing players. When one player is suddenly better at a different level under a different coach, you've gotta go with Occam's razor...
It may well turn out to be the case with Link if/when he is given the job. But to point to his record and particular performances of his team at Super Rugby level and say that on that basis he is a better coach than Deans is a bit naive.