Call his motives as coach of Australia into question, though, and the former New Zealand international really bristles.
It’s a challenging week in New Zealand for anyone not supporting the All Blacks ahead of Sunday’s World Cup semifinal against archrival Australia.
Particularly for the Wallabies, targets of some friendly and not-so-friendly banter. More particularly for a New Zealander who has worn the sacred black jersey but is now plotting the World Cup demise of the host team.
The so-called Dingo Deans really was in the hot seat when he announced his Wallabies lineup on Friday.
He answered the questions he’s answered hundreds of times since he moved to Australia in 2008 in his measured, almost monotone manner.
The one that got under his skin related to his work: The decision by the Australian Rugby Union before the World Cup to extend his contract to 2013, and what World Cup benchmarks he had to achieve to prove he was worth it.
“I never feel vindicated. You constantly want more,” he said, speaking adamantly, his pitch rising slightly. “I don’t seek vindication. I seek to do the job I do to the BEST of my ability. And off the back of that, to have these blokes not only enjoy their experience but actually succeed and have something to show for their time as well. And that’ll never change.
“I can assure you,” he added, to underscore his point, “regardless of outcomes, whether we’re to win Sunday, or whether we were to ultimately win the World Cup, there will always be those that don’t think I should go around ... that’s the way it is. The fact that people care is good.”
Deans was a candidate for the job of New Zealand coach after the World Cup failure four years ago, but Graham Henry was reappointed and last week notched his 100th test match in charge.
After being an assistant to All Blacks coach John Mitchell in the 2003 World Cup and going as far as he could go in Super rugby — where he guided Canterbury Crusaders to unprecedented success — Deans wanted to test himself in the international arena.
He has deep roots in New Zealand rugby. There’s a stand at the earthquake-damaged stadium in Christchurch named after his family, which has produced three All Blacks dating to his uncle, Bob Deans, one of the more legendary figures in the great 1905 team.
Three of Deans’ five tests were against Australia — he landed five penalties and a conversion as the All Blacks won a series-deciding series by one point in Sydney in 1984. His brother, Bruce, played 10 tests for the All Blacks for nine wins and a draw.
Indeed his connections go right to the top — his brother-in-law is NZRU chairman Jock Hobbs, a former schoolmate, teammate and the husband of his sister.
“It’s often suggested to me that I’ll have mixed emotions,” about meeting the All Blacks, Deans said. “I’m firmly embedded now. There’s none of that. I’ve worked with this group for a long time. You establish connections. Particularly when you suffer together, it galvanizes those connections. We’re really looking forward to this contest.”
Deans caught up with Hobbs last week when he was in Wellington for the quarterfinal against defending champion South Africa. He hasn’t caught up with Bruce yet, but he’s confident he’s not a family outcast.
“My sister made the statement when she came across for the very first Bledisloe fixture that I was involved in, that it was family first. I suspect in Bruce’s instance, having been an All Black, he may not look at it in that light. It’s all good.”
There’s nothing adversarial about his feelings for New Zealanders, except for the 80 minutes when his Wallabies are on the field in a match against the All Blacks.
Deans got one up on Henry the first time he led Australia against New Zealand, but 10 losses to the All Blacks followed that. Now the Wallabies have won two of the last three, including the Tri-Nations decider in Brisbane in August.
For him, the trans-Tasman matches aren’t a clash between himself and Henry, or himself against the whole of New Zealand.
“We don’t play,” Deans said. “We’d love to, but our day has been. We’re here to help our groups to function as best they can.”
Henry doesn’t demonize Deans, either. He told a news conference earlier Friday it doesn’t matter who is in the other coaches’ box on Sunday, it could be Australia’s Welsh-born Prime Minister Julia Gillard for all he cared.
“To me it’s not personal,” Henry said. “It’s one team playing another team in a game of sport, trying to do your job. It’s as simple as that really.”
There’s dozens of New Zealanders coaching other international teams, including Warren Gatland, who has guided Wales into the other semifinal against France. John Kirwan and Kieran Crowley, both members of New Zealand’s 1987 World Cup-winning squad, were in charge of Japan and Canada at this tournament.
Other Kiwi coaches in exile — including former test cricket batsman John Wright, who became India coach — have suggested that playing against New Zealand is like fighting a brother.
“I don’t look at it in that light,” said Deans, who sought advice from Wright before taking the Wallabies’ job.
“I guess what he’s saying is, you’ve got a lot of respect for your brother, you know ‘em well, you know each other well, you know each other’s strength and weaknesses,” he said. “There’s always a lot of intent, it’s always willing, because of that emotional connection.
“But I’m not out there. It’s the players that are out there, and it’s Wallabies playing the All Blacks. It’s not about me.”
