Deans: All Blacks are no chokers

Getty Images ©

Robbie Deans has rubbished suggestions the All Blacks are guilty of mental frailties when the blowtorch is directed their way on the biggest stage.

The All Blacks go into Saturday night's Tri Nations clash against the Wallabies on the back of their 30-28 loss to the Springboks two weeks ago, a match they let go of in the dying minutes at Carisbrook when the Boks were down to just 14 men.

It comes just eight months after they had wilted in the pressure applied by France in the World Cup quarterfinal at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

The Deans-coached Wallabies stood up to be counted when the Springboks poured pressure on them late in last weekend's gutsty 16-9 win over the Boks.

It was also a win recorded without the services of impressive centre and captain Stirling Mortlock for the majority of the second half.

But Deans said suggestions that the All Blacks were unable to close out the tight encounters had little credence.

"I don't know if that is an old trait," Deans said.

"Gee, they have a great performance history. Obviously a lot of people have focused on the World Cup, and it is easy to generalise as a result.

"But I think if you are to generalise, you would say that they close out games better than anybody, looking at their performance history."

The All Blacks were down on the experience factor for their two-point loss to the Springboks two weeks ago.

Inspirational captain Richie McCaw missed the match with the same ankle injury which will keep him out of the Tri Nations showdown at Sydney's ANZ Stadium.

Deans added it was disappointing to see so much concentration devoted to high-pressure tests the All Blacks had lost in the dying moments, saying there were plenty of cases in recent seasons where the side had held on in similar circumstances.

"There have been some big ones they have closed out, the Springboks for the Tri Nations in Dunedin (in 2005)," he said.

"There have been a number that they have closed out well."

Deans also sent the All Blacks a warning in stating the Wallabies were mentally and physically ready to back-up following last weekend's outstanding win over the Springboks.

Captain Stirling Mortlock will miss Saturday's encounter with a head injury.

But the remainder of Deans' playing squad is fit, with several players being given lighter training duties on Monday and Tuesday to help their recovery.

"The priority has been recovery first, so we haven't been as physical in the early part of the week as we have been up until now," he said.

"That is just a reality of the circumstance.

"But we are happy with the cumulative affect of our preparation. And that game we had last weekend is an ideal back-drop for us going into this one."

Meanwhile, Deans has stressed again that the biggest mistake the Wallabies could make would be to deliberately target All Black first-five Daniel Carter.

Carter will be the lynchpin for the All Blacks, with his experience becoming even more valuable following the absence of McCaw.

But Deans, who coached him at the Crusaders, said it would be unwise to target him for special treatment in the hope it put him off his game.

"He is a remarkable rugby player and the one thing you can't do is overload him and think you will get away with it," Deans said.

"He is of such class that he has a great awareness of what is going on around him and if you pay less attention to someone else, he will find them.

"It is a team thing, it is not a matter of designating an individual to do him. But it would be great if one man could take care of him, that would leave 14 outside him."