WALLABIES coach Robbie Deans is assuming his long-time Crusaders ally Richie McCaw will play in Sydney's Bledisloe Cup match on Saturday night, and has warned of the dangers of focusing too much on another long-time friend, Daniel Carter.

Deans was last night involved in a conference call with the New Zealand media, and it wasn't long before the focus turned to his relationship with the two best-known All Blacks, who have strong ties with the Wallabies coach through their long association at the Crusaders.

Deans was aware that McCaw, the All Blacks captain, was involved in a lengthy team training session in Wellington yesterday, where he did not appear troubled by a high ankle sprain that has sidelined him since the second Test against England last month.

Although McCaw has said he was targeting the second Bledisloe Cup match, in Auckland on August 2, for his return, there are strong claims his name will be part of the line-up when it is announced today for the Test at ANZ Stadium.

Deans last night said he hoped the world rugby's best openside breakaway would play.

"I've always anticipated he [McCaw] would be here for this one, because it is something that would have excited him," Deans said. "So you tend to find what you seek. And he is a good healer. It would be great if he is. It would be good for him. You never like to see players denied opportunities that they enjoy."

The plan to contain the All Blacks' chief playmaker, Carter, was a little bit more loose. When asked how the Wallabies would nullify Carter, Deans said: "By stifling those around him, hopefully. He's just a remarkable rugby player, and the one thing you can't do is overload him and think you'll get away with it, because he's of such class, he has a great awareness of what's going on around him and if you pay less attention to someone else, he will find them.

"It's a team thing. It's not a matter of designating an individual to him. But it would be great if one man can take care of him, because that would leave 14 others."

The lukewarm relationship between Deans and his All Blacks coaching opposite, Graham Henry, was also discussed, with the Wallabies coach revealing the pair had not been involved in too many football discussions over the years.

When asked if they had spoken since Henry had beaten him for the All Blacks coaching job this year, Deans said: "I wished him luck in the lift on the morning of the [coaching] announcement. No, wait, he came to Crusaders training this year. Yeah, we've spoken."

Had they had many conversations about rugby? "There hasn't been many, to be honest," Deans said. "To be frank, it hasn't happened a lot. There's only been probably one occasion in the past four or five years where we've actually sat one on one at a table and in that instance we probably didn't talk a lot of rugby, other than priorities, in particular All Blacks priorities, looking ahead towards a World Cup."

He also tried to temper the euphoria after the Wallabies' defeat of the Springboks in Perth on Saturday night.

"We had the benefit of the South Africans coming off two tough encounters [against the All Blacks], and they were possibly a little conscious of the fact they were flying home the next day," Deans said.

"We might have been lucky to catch them on an emotional downer, especially after Dunedin, as they were involved in something they hadn't done in a decade [win in New Zealand]. Whether you like it or not, that sort of thing does tend to just take some of the edge off the hunger."

Despite slight injury concerns involving captain Stirling Mortlock, No.8 Wycliff Palu and breakaway Rocky Elsom, all are expected to be available. However, Deans indicated there was a possibility some players may be bracketed when the team is announced tomorrow.