truebluefan

ALL four Australian Super 14 coaches will be asked to become Wallabies squad selectors as part of new national coach Robbie Deans's plan to choose the best Test team possible.

The policy of inclusion aims to provide the often-divided Australian provinces with a fair and influential say in the make-up of Wallabies train-on squads before they are cut to Test teams.

It will also ensure Deans has a selection process in place - and a means for an open channel of communication with his selectors - while fulfilling his final commitments as a New Zealand Rugby Union employee in charge of the Canterbury Crusaders.

Deans is duty-bound by his Kiwi agreement not to work with the Wallabies in NZRU time. But he is aware that, with three weeks between the Super 14 final at the end of May and Australia's first domestic Test against Ireland, there is little time to assemble and prepare a side, especially if no selection process is implemented during the Super 14.

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truebluefan

AUSTRALIA coach Robbie Deans has privately settled on the names of his assistant coaches, and confirmed that not all the incumbents will keep their jobs.

But the line-up of the backroom staff, he reiterated, is almost certain to be made up of Australians. "As I have said, one Kiwi will be adequate," Deans insisted.

Asked if he had the names of his assistants in his mind, Deans said: "Yeah … but there is nothing concluded. And obviously there are incumbents, so there are processes that have to be followed. But Pat Howard [ARU high-performance director] is driving that."

Deans said it was "great" that Wallabies forwards coach Michael Foley had publicly declared a wish to keep the job he took up in 2006 for last year's World Cup campaign.

"It's clear he is keen to continue. But who knows? They may all be keen to," Deans said, referring to Wallabies assistants Scott Johnson [backs] and John Muggleton [defence]. But the reality of the circumstances is that that opportunity won't be there for all [of them]. I envisage the [ARU] will be keen to announce it in one hit. I am also going to pick up some roles."

truebluefan

Brumbies coach Laurie Fisher has rubbished the proposal of new Wallabies mentor Robbie Deans that the Australian Super 14 head coaches become national squad selectors.

The three other Super 14 coaches were receptive to the idea yesterday, but Fisher is clearly unwilling to divulge insights into his players before New Zealander Deans' Super 14 duties with the Crusaders end and he starts as Wallabies coach.

"Until he has finished with the Crusaders, he is the opposition," Fisher said yesterday after the Herald revealed the Kiwi's intention, which has yet to be rubber-stamped by the Australian Rugby Union.

"I certainly won't be discussing the relative strengths and weaknesses of my players until he has finished up with the Crusaders in the Super 14. You are talking about two sides here who could be in the Super 14 final."

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truebluefan

A reborn Leroy Houston restarts his Super 14 career on Saturday night and the former wide-eyed Wallabies tourist knows how lucky he is.

Houston was virtually washed up a year ago, running around playing park rugby league in Sydney and working as a water cooler deliverer after losing his NSW contract.

At only 19, the bubbly back-rower couldn't cope with the pressure after being hailed as a Test player in waiting when he toured Europe under Eddie Jones.

But his Wallabies dream is alive again at 21 after being thrown a lifeline by the Queensland Reds which sends him back to the western suburbs of Sydney this weekend.

Houston makes his debut for the Reds against his old Waratahs teammates in the opening trial of the season and he's already drawing comparisons with former Wallabies No.8 Toutai Kefu.

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truebluefan

Whether he's jet-boating or running drills, the new Wallabies coach is an individualist and a high achiever, writes Rupert Guinness.

They can always tell when Robbie Deans has the urge. The sight of his jet boat sitting in its trailer outside the Canterbury Crusaders training ground at Rugby Park, St Albans in Christchurch is the give-away.

The players and staff don't need to guess what Deans plans to do on his lunch break. He will drive 10 kilometres to the Waimakariri River with his 14-foot V6 boat in tow, and then release the tension of his job by launching it into the shallow waters for a high-velocity 90kmh burst deep into the valley.

"It's a release, not so much the adrenalin. It gets you into places that will take a lot longer any other way. They are great spots and generally out of cell-phone range," the soon-to-be Wallabies coach told The Herald.

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New Italy coach Nick Mallett says a tough itinerary and several team changes make it unlikely his team will repeat last year's Six Nations performance when they won two games for the first time.

"That's very difficult. We've got three games away and only two at home," Mallett told reporters on Friday.

"If you're realistic and you look at the games they won last year, you'll never see a game like Scotland again, where Italy scored three interception tries in the first five minutes.

"That was a freakish result, even though they deserved to win in the end."

The former Springboks coach said it would take time for the Italians to adjust to the loss of retired scrumhalf Alessandro Troncon and to the changes he was making.

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truebluefan

Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery has been suspended for eight weeks for stamping on an opponent and will miss the entire Six Nations championship.

The Munster forward, who has played 21 times for Ireland, was cited for stamping on Clermont Auvergne back-row Julien Bonnaire on January 13 during a match in the Heineken Cup, European rugby's premier club competition, which Munster lost.

Unless he appeals, Flannery cannot play again until after Ireland's final Six Nations game against England at Twickenham on March 15.

The championship starts on February 2.

truebluefan

Jason Robinson has backed England winger Lesley Vainikolo to become a 'huge global star'.

Vainikolo has followed the trail blazed by the now-retired Robinson, building a huge reputation in rugby league before breaking into the national squad after converting to the 15-man game.

Robinson was a huge success after his change of code and became feared as one of the most deadly runners in world rugby.

He feels Vainikolo - known as the 'Volcano' - can make an equally stunning impact, and has backed him to perhaps even better his achievements in the Red Rose shirt.

"Lesley is fast, he has raw power and he's a try machine," Robinson told the Mail on Sunday ahead of the RBS 6 Nations which begins next week.

"I wouldn't be at all surprised if he becomes a huge global star in international rugby, and a massive fans' favourite with England."

"Give him a 10-metre run and you've got little chance. If you're ready to take a big hit from him he'll step you, and if you're light-footed preparing for the step, he'll dip his shoulder and run straight through you."

"You just don't know what he's going to do until it's too late."

"It gives the opposition a massive problem, because you can't afford not to heavily police Les in a game, but in doing so you leave yourself wide open elsewhere."