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No rotating for Wallabies: Deans

By Tom Wald 17/06/2008 02:20:42 PM Comments (0)

Coach Robbie Deans has ruled out a rotation policy for the Wallabies despite the risk of player burn-out from a gruelling 15-Test schedule this year.

Australia's heavy fixture list continues on Saturday week in the first match of a two-Test series against France at Sydney's ANZ Stadium.

They follow the series against the French by playing New Zealand (four Tests) and South Africa (three Tests) in the Tri-Nations before November's five-match northern hemisphere tour.

And despite concerns about the physical and mental toll on players following the Super 14 competition, Deans had no set plans to rest players.

"There will not be rotation as such," Deans told AAP.

"There will be catering to our needs because we are not going to be looking ahead and putting less emphasis on what is immediately in front of us.

"We want to thrive in every instance."

For world No.4 Australia to thrive against the top nations they need to continue to find improvement in the engine room.

The blame for Australia's quarter-final exit at last year's World Cup was largely blamed on the failure of the Wallaby forwards to match England.

Those concerns hardly faded following the 18-12 win over Ireland in Melbourne last weekend with the Munster-powered pack regularly disrupting Australia at the breakdown as the match wore on.

But Deans called for patience with his forwards.

"Without a doubt, nothing really worthwhile happens overnight and it will take some time," he said.

"But some blokes will be given an opportunity and it is for them to make the most of that, so we do thrive."

The ex-Crusaders coach felt he had plenty of talent to work with in the forwards.

"There is a fair bit of experience now and a lot of discussion around the front row and we have an experienced group there Al Baxter is our most capped prop and Matt Dunning is right up there in terms of numbers played," he said.

"That experience is invaluable and then you look behind them (Dan) Vickerman will return at some point we have (Nathan) Sharpey, we have got Mark Chisholm who has got 36 caps and we have Dean Mumm coming on.

"And loose forwards we are not too bad.

"Experience is valuable."

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