Deans winning coaching mind games

Supercoach Robbie Deans has won the opening round of his latest Bledisloe Cup bout
with arch rival Graham Henry, hoodwinking the All Blacks into playing master flyhalf
Dan Carter out of position on Saturday night.
New Zealand assistant coach Wayne Smith on Tuesday conceded one of the chief reasons
Carter had been picked at inside centre - which accommodates Stephen Donald at
five-eighth - was to give the All Blacks two playmakers, as they expect the
Wallabies to have.
But in a potential selection masterstroke Deans is tipped to name powerhouse skipper
Stirling Mortlock to oppose Carter, rather than recall the ball-playing Berrick
Barnes.
Barnes is expected to be eased back from a shoulder injury via the bench, with Deans
opting to retain the more robust Mortlock-Ryan Cross midfield combination.
At best, Carter can expect plenty of heavy traffic heading his way at Hong Kong
Stadium.
Even if the tactics ultimately fail, Henry - who beat Deans to the All Blacks
coaching job last year despite his team's dismal World Cup failure - will not be
happy to have been outwitted by his Wallabies counterpart.
Judging by his subtle dig at Tuesday's announcement of his All Blacks side, Henry is
already agitated by Deans delaying the release of his Wallabies team until Thursday.
"We always announce the team early to give the other guys a chance. They announce
theirs on Thursday. We announce ours on Tuesday," Henry said.
"Maybe that needs to change, but that seems to be the case these days."
Before this season's first Bledisloe Cup Test, Deans admitted to having barely
spoken a word to Henry in recent years.
This latest episode in their coaching rivalry is unlikely to improve their
relationship, but it has certainly spiced up what has been an otherwise low-key
build-up to the historic trans-Tasman encounter.
Deans suspects Carter's positional switch may force the All Blacks into altering a
playing structure which helped them successfully defend the Bledisloe Cup and Tri
Nations trophies this year.
Carter - widely considered the game's premier flyhalf - seemed hardly enthused at
being bumped out to the centres.
"It's quite surreal actually," Carter said.
"It's where I played a lot of my football in the first couple of seasons
professionally, but it's a new challenge because it has been so long.
"I'm really looking forward to it. The coaches have made it clear that it's not
going to be a permanent move, so that's good because I'm probably more settled in
the No.10 jersey.
"But I think that 30 minutes in Brisbane where Steve came on, he made a real
difference and I think he really deserves his chance at having a start."
Donald's effort to help the All Blacks rally from 17-7 down with 25 minutes
remaining to a 28-24 victory over the Wallabies last month, plus the right foot-left
foot kicking options he and Carter give the side, were the other two reasons behind
the backline reshuffle.
Deans' other noteworthy selection will be the naming of 20-year-old debutant David
Pocock on the bench, which will, along with George Smith and Phil Waugh, give the
Wallabies three openside flankers in the match-day 22.
Likely Wallabies team: Adam Ashley-Cooper, Drew Mitchell, Ryan Cross, Stirling
Mortlock (capt), Peter Hynes, Matt Giteau, Luke Burgess, Richard Brown, George
Smith, Dean Mumm, Nathan Sharpe, Mark Chisholm, Benn Robinson, Stephen Moore, Al
Baxter. Reserves: Adam Freier, Matt Dunning, David Pocock, Phil Waugh, Sam
Cordingley, Berrick Barnes, Lachie Turner.