Deans worries about Wallabies

Melbourne - Australia coach Robbie Deans has expressed his frustration with the side's stuttering form in the June Tests, knowing he has a little over a year to fine-tune preparations for the World Cup in New Zealand.

Australia's shaky home form this month, a tied series against England and an unconvincing 22-15 win over Ireland in Brisbane on Saturday, has placed renewed pressure on the New Zealander to deliver results in the Tri-Nations starting next month.

Australian Rugby Union chief John O'Neill criticised the Wallabies in an Australian newspaper report on Monday for being inconsistent and behind the curve ahead of their first match against South Africa in Brisbane on July 24.

"Totally (understand)," Deans said in an interview of the criticism, which has included former Australia great Mark Ella branding the team "frail and insecure" in a recent column.

"We have the same frustrations and the same ambitions," Deans added. "Over the year, we've let some results go that obviously were there for the taking."

Deans defended his team's form in the recent Tests, however, saying injuries that robbed them of a raft of first-choice forwards had taken their toll.

"The underlying consistency is coming under a circumstance that has been pretty challenging, to be honest, which would suggest we're just under the brow," he added, standing near the Bledisloe Cup trophy at a football stadium in Melbourne.

"If you also look at reality, we've also achieved something with a group that have no background.

"There were only four of the starting 15 in Perth that were in the equivalent starting 15 at the end of last year.

"We're still not happy, we're not suggesting we are. But that's a fact."

Deans, whose side surrendered the Bledisloe Cup without a win against the All Blacks last year and finished third in the Tri-Nations behind champions South Africa, has won 18 of his 32 Tests in charge with one draw.

The five-time championship coach in Super rugby conceded his tenure could be up for review should the Wallabies prove unable to deliver this season.

"That can be the case at any point in time, it doesn't change what's important... getting those results," Deans said.

"Every time you compete it's a report card, that's the reality of the industry."

Talk of increased depth after more heartening performances by Australian sides in this year's Super rugby season was a bit of a mirage, Deans suggested. "Obviously there have been a large number of players exposed to international rugby. That's been a result of (injury) circumstances.

"Some of that experience has been translating to Super rugby performance but we're still third-ranked (in the Southern Hemisphere)... that's the reality," he said.

The team, nonetheless, was still capable of winning both the Bledisloe and Tri-Nations trophies, Deans said.

"The first opportunity is in Brisbane. As was evident in our last outing we will have to be better than we were."