Campo slates 'brainless' Deans
Wallabies legend David Campese has heaped criticism on Australia’s Kiwi coach Robbie Deans for what he believes was a seriously disappointing World Cup campaign.
The former wing was particularly unhappy with the performance of the Wallabies backline, usually one of their strengths, and put the bulk of the blame on Deans who he believes made some poor selections.
He told AAP: “I can’t believe Deans hasn’t been asked to explain what happened to our backline.
“His backline (selections) were disgusting. The Irish game was just brainless. We can’t even pass the ball. Digby Ioane gets the ball once and almost scores and then doesn’t see it for 80 minutes,” he fumed.
Deans came in for some flak back in Australia for his insistence on playing the relatively inexperienced and one-dimensional Pat McCabe at inside centre rather than the more creative Berrick Barnes and then failing to pick a specialist openside flank against Ireland in the absence of David Pocock which ended in disaster.
Campese was disappointed that the Wallabies were not able to make better use of their potent outside backs.
“Doesn’t anybody realise we’re not getting the ball out to the wingers? We had guys in the centres in the World Cup who couldn’t even pass the ball and two finishers who never got the ball,” he said.
The former prolific try-scorer pointed to Deans’ underwhelming win-loss ratio as Wallabies coach and suggested that he has only kept his job because he was appointed by ARU chief executive John O’Neill.
“He’s got the worst record of any Australian coach yet he’s still there. He shouldn’t be there. He was with the Kiwis in 2003 and the Wallabies in 2010 and he got nowhere both times,” Campese pointed out.
Campese believes that Reds coach Ewan McKenzie who lifted the Super Rugby trophy earlier this year is far more qualified than Deans to lead the national team.
He commented: “What’s wrong with McKenzie? He’s an Australian, he’s been through the system, he’s been overseas. It just makes a mockery of the whole set-up.”
