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Robbie Deans - Source: Photosport
They're rarer than length-of-the-field tries these days, but Wallabies coach Robbie Deans is adamant mid-week tour games still have a place in professional rugby.
"Absolutely. We need more of them. Without a doubt," Deans said ahead of the Wallabies's clash with the Cardiff Blues on Wednesday morning (NZ time).
"They are the essence of the game; the opportunity for players to have a crack at an international side, the opportunity for players to emerge through that, the opportunity for us to expose another tier of players.
"When you go from Test match to Test match, from week to week, which is what our normal routine is, you just don't get that opportunity."
If not for the Wallabies's mid-week clash with Gloucester three weeks ago, Quade Cooper would not have emerged as the revelation of the spring tour.
Cooper's dazzling man-of-the-match display, in which the 21-year-old had a hand or foot in four tries in Australia's 36-5 victory, forced Deans's hand.
Rather than sticking with the reliable Ryan Cross and Adam Ashley-Cooper - who performed capably in Australia's tour-opening loss to New Zealand in Tokyo - Deans, in his most daring selection decision as Wallabies coach, promoted Cooper to partner Digby Ioane in the centres against England.
The selection proved a coaching masterstroke, with Cooper filling Berrick Barnes's midfield playmaking role with aplomb in Australia's 18-9 victory at Twickenham.
Growing in maturity, Cooper's tactical kicking also eased pressure on five-eighth Matt Giteau in last Monday's 20-20 draw with Ireland in Dublin.
Deans, though, would never have banked on Cooper had the two-Test rookie not been given the chance to press his claims with Australia's second-string mid-week side.
"If you do chance your arm to that end, it can bite, not only to a team but also the individuals," Deans said.
"So to have the opportunity for these blokes to play mid-week, represent their country, wear the strip and experience the realities of an opponent who just wants to cut you down, that's what the game was built on.
"The passion that comes out of these provincial teams is fantastic.
"There's also the social element; the interaction, the cultural opportunities that you get when you get outside of the main centres and experience the country and the people. It's great."
Deans even believes mid-week games make a difference to how players play.
"The performance of our side against Gloucester was pretty special," he said.
"As you witnessed with Leicester's win over South Africa, the (other provincial teams) grow an arm and a leg when they're playing against an international team, and our blokes rose to that and they played at a level they probably hadn't played through Super rugby."
Deans says the five-week spring tour in general is "hugely important" to the Wallabies.
"It's rare for us to get an opportunity to spend a block of time together," he said.
"Even domestically, we don't get the opportunity a lot, and certainly this year we haven't.
"So to get away and to be able to live and breathe rugby and experience some great destinations - Twickenham, Croke Park, we've had a mid-weeker against Gloucester and another one coming - it's just a fantastic opportunity for this group of players, not only in terms of the bonds that they build but the experiences they get.
"The background of rugby is fantastic."
