Crusaders culture coming to Wallabies

Deans has established a reputation for being arguably the best coach in the world by creating a Crusaders dynasty in Super rugby.

The Crusaders have won a record seven Super titles, which is more than the other three championship-winning teams of the Blues (three), Brumbies (two) and Bulls (one) have between them.

And Deans has guided the Crusaders to five of those titles.

Under Deans, the Crusaders have created and developed an exciting brand of running rugby that he will now infuse into the Wallabies.

A sign of the Crusaders` attacking mindset under Deans is reflected by the fact that they have led the competition in try-scoring in the round robin for the past four years.

Super rugby`s 10th season in 2005 produced the fourth-leanest number of tries in the series to date, yet the Crusaders still managed to set a try-scoring record of 71 five-pointers. While every other team in the competition was struggling to score tries, the Crusaders` attacking game was surging ahead.

In recent years Australian rugby has fretted over the standard of its forward play, particularly the scrum.

Perhaps because Australians take running rugby so much for granted, it has escaped the attention of many observers that a lack of attack is the biggest deficiency in the game in this country.

The Waratahs finished second on the table this season, but they ranked 12th in attack. While it is true the Waratahs made a concerted effort to play a more attacking style of game following their 34-7 loss to the Crusaders at the midway mark of the season, the reality was Deans was already one step ahead of them.

In recent years the Crusaders have won games and out-scored their opponents in tries with less possession and territory. Against the Crusaders` offensive defence, teams found that having possession could actually be a disadvantage.

But the introduction of the new experimental law variations created a game in which the team that dominates possession and territory usually wins the game.

The Crusaders played a smart game against the Waratahs in the final on Saturday night, placing NSW under pressure with their kicking game, forcing turnovers at the breakdown and converting pressure into points. Everything the Crusaders did, whether it was a high ball or a pick and go, had one aim in mind and that was to attack.

The most uncharacteristic thing about the Crusaders on Saturday night was the number of tries they bombed, whether it was winger Scott Hamilton dropping a ball with the line wide open or centre Casey Laulala not passing to an unmarked player, which was why they were actually out-scored two tries to one.

But there was little doubt which of the two teams was tactically superior. The Waratahs` game-plan failed to work for one main reason - poor support play. The other three Australian Super rugby sides - the Brumbies (seventh), Force (10th) and Reds (13th) -- also fared poorly in points-scoring this year.

Australia has very good players such as Matt Giteau, Stirling Mortlock and Lote Tuqiri, but there is obviously an endemic problem with attack in this country. In Bledisloe Cup Tests since the 2003 World Cup, the All Blacks have averaged 24 points to the Wallabies` 16.

The Wallabies clearly have a problem with scoring points against quality opposition and Deans is just the man to fix it. An innovative coach, Deans will introduce new strategies and tactics to the Wallabies` game-plan, but the biggest change he will make will be attitudinal.

If you want to play expansive, attacking rugby, you have to have an ensemble game, but you cannot involve all 15 players in the attack without a team ethos.

All it takes is a few selfish individuals to spoil the 15-man game. The value of team-work is enshrined in the Crusaders` culture and that is the single, most precious gift that Deans will bring to the Wallabies.

Crusaders captain Richie McCaw gave the Wallabies an idea of what to expect under Deans when explaining what made his side so successful.

"You can see at the Crusaders we have added to the personnel every year, but they are always moulded into thinking the same thing," McCaw said.

"It`s the team first. The Crusaders succeed not as individuals. Individuals come second and they do succeed because of that.

"That`s the thing I`ve learnt the most here at the Crusaders playing under Robbie and I think that`s been from day one a good reason for the Crusaders` success. There has been a complete change of personnel say from when they first won (in 1998) to now, but the same ethos, the same characteristics of players have been carried through.

"I certainly know that no matter who you are as a player, whether you are a 50-Test All Black or a first-game Crusader, you are treated the same and you live by the same values. You go out there and play for your mates, play for the jersey. That`s the ethos that runs through the team."