But while there is every expectation to believe Deans and O’Neill will work hand-in-glove, the new Wallabies coach has every reason to believe that, within the constraints of the ARU’s relatively modest budget, he will be free to shape his role, his team and his tactics as he sees fit. Deans could hardly have picked a better moment to inherit the Australian side, and not just because the quarter-final exit from the World Cup last year pretty much means the only way to go from here is up. More importantly, the two most dominant players in the side over the past decade have moved on, George Gregan, whose personality set the tone for the side, and Steve Larkham, whose unique talents at five-eighth heavily shaped the way Australia played the game. Yes, he’s a bit of a larrikin and he’s never likely to be mistaken for an intellectual, but after turning in a shocker in his first season as captain, 2006, he led the Wallabies from the front on the field all the way through 2007 and in the process established himself as the best outside centre in world rugby.

Tags: battat wood easel, wallabies, wood easel, team

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