James Mortimer 02.Sep.2012getty
Australia are on the bottom of The Investec Rugby Championship table, and failure to beat the Springboks in Perth could mean (with an All Blacks win against Argentina) that the Wallabies would be out of title calculations halfway through the tournament.
Deans said to Perth Now he knew his troops would be in for a brutal battle, although they had been prepared for this thanks to the relentless forward assault the All Blacks delivered at Eden Park.
"The All Blacks are very physical too (as well as the Springboks), but also very athletic and apply relentless pressure across the board," Deans said.
"They're right up there with the best of modern time, along with the Springbok 2007 World Cup-winning side."
Recent tests against the Springboks have been tight affairs, with the Wallabies winning 11-9 at the Rugby World Cup - while in Sydney, Bloemfontein and Pretoria before, running rugby had been vogue, with the teams registering no less than 24 total tries in the three tests.
If it becomes an open attacking affair, one suspects that the Wallabies might have an edge, although of late their offensive instincts have been somewhat curtailed.
Meanwhile they come up against a Springboks team that has similar questions being asked of their potential style, but Deans felt that it would again be defence to the fore.
"Tries aren't easy to come by in this Rugby Championship the All Blacks had between 60 and 70 per cent possession across two matches against us and only scored three tries," Deans said.
"It's a pattern that's been prevalent across Test rugby this year. Defence has been in the ascendancy."
With the Wallabies sinking to a 0-2 start, some feel that the only chance for the Australians to notch a win would be via the Pumas, but Deans cautioned against expecting a result against Argentina.
"Argentina, as newcomers to this competition, shouldn't be taken lightly because they're a capable side which thrives on defence and disruption and are looking to knock teams over," he said.
"Having said that, we're looking to find ways to release some skills."
