Wallabies Enjoy Unstructured Playtime On First Day At School Of Deans
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday June 5, 2008
ONE of the Wallabies' most senior players, Nathan Sharpe, is delighted the Robbie Deans regime will end the Australian team's obsession with structured play.
Deans showed no mercy on the Wallabies squad yesterday, training them for more than two hours in torrential rain at Manly Oval, where they practised a variety of new drills. The emphasis was on allowing the players to show off their skills, while initiative was also encouraged.Sharpe, who has been involved with four different Wallabies coaches, was enthused by the approach, saying: "One of the most pleasing things for all the guys is that he [Deans] wants us to play what's in front of us."So rather than being really structured and, I guess, oriented to playing predetermined phases, he wants guys in the right position, make decisions and then back yourself. And that's a good thing for all the guys to know, because if the coach backs you to make the right decisions, then 90 per cent of the time hopefully you will."When you watch the Crusaders, you see the concepts he already has spoken about. You can see how he has translated that in his teams over the past few years."Sharpe, who said the players felt as if they were "having their first day at a new school", explained that Deans was already making a difference in the Wallabies' team culture."At the first training sessions, there is quite a difference in the way he wants to team to attack and defend," Sharpe said. "So there will be some work trying to get guys used to that style of play. It will be a bit of a softly, softly approach as it starts seeping the knowledge into the team. I think he realises that if he tries to do too much too quickly, then it might have dramatic effects on the way the team plays."Hopefully, by the time of the Tri Nations the team will be starting to play the way he wants us to play."The Wallabies camp yesterday revealed that NSW hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau was expected to miss the first two Tests after having surgery on his right hand yesterday. Polota-Nau, who played with a slight break in his hand during the Super 14 final, is expected to be sidelined for about a month.Polota-Nau will be reassessed after the Wallabies start their Test campaign against Ireland in Melbourne on June 14, but is not expected back until the second Test against France in Brisbane on July 5. Stephen Moore is instead scheduled to be the Test hooker, with Adam Freier his back-up.Wallabies second-rower Dan Vickerman has had successful surgery on his ankle and will be unavailable for six weeks.Lote Tuqiri suffered a knock on his knee during the Super 14 final and hasn't trained this week. But he will be available for the Melbourne Test.
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald