Deans, the most successful Super 14 coach, said before the Wallabies team left for Sydney that he was eager to help the Australian provinces next season, especially as he will be watching the tournament from a different perspective. "I will help the franchises where I can, and where I feel I can," Deans said.

"Obviously the [Australian] players will take some ideas back to their provinces. That's up to them. But there's no way I'll be sticking my nose in where it's not requested. We want the franchises to innovate. We want them to run their own campaigns, and take ownership of their own campaigns."

Deans will now go on an extensive holiday in New Zealand. When he returns to Sydney he will decide on his Wallabies management team for next year. Even though Wallabies forwards coach Michael Foley, who has a strong relationship with the members of the Test pack, is heading to the Waratahs, Deans has opened the door for him to retain some minor role with the Test team.

"We'll make those decisions after Christmas," Deans said. "But Michael is still involved in Australian rugby, and he will be working with a lot of the players. In terms of the immediate management group, we'll resolve that in time. But even if Michael wasn't part of that, he will still be involved. We'll still seek his counsel, and he'll still get the opportunity to come along. You never discard anyone's knowledge. No one has all the answers."

Deans said that at the end of his first season with the Wallabies, he was delighted with the team's progress, particularly that they were starting to believe in themselves. "The whole experience has been great. They've all chipped in on and off the field, and the dynamic of the group has been good," Deans said.

"Obviously against Wales we didn't finish the Test the way we would like, but the indicators are there … This group will go into the break with a real sense of purpose for next year."