The scorecard for Robbie Deans in his first year as Wallaby coach reads that out of nine Tests he has a 66% success rate.

However the results for the Tri-Nations when the outcome is serious show 119 points for and 163 against from three wins and three losses or 50%.

This is hardly a result to start shouting from the roof tops that the "messiah" has arrived. The best part of Dean's coaching and selecting has been his ability to identify talent. The manner in which he has brought on players of the Luke Burgess, Peter Hynes, James Horwill and Hugh McMenamin mould is to be commended and the end of year tour to the United Kingdom will give further opportunity to James O'Connor, prop Sekope Kepu and back rower David Pocock.

Youngster Kurtly Beale, still only 19 years of age after two full Super 14 competitions, would have loved to have been available for selection in the final Test of the Tri-Nations against the All Blacks when the Wallabies went down by 24-28 to miss out on the silverware - again.

Beale was still recovering from injury sustained initially in the Super 14 Final against the Crusaders and aggravated further at training for the Northern Suburbs Club in Sydney.

With Berrick Barnes injured Robbie Deans was forced to play the world's best inside centre Matt Giteau at five eighth with Stirling Mortlock, struggling for form at number 13, moving in to number 12. With Beale available he could have slotted in to five eight for his Wallaby debut and allowed Giteau to be at inside centre (where he should be) and Ryan Cross at outside centre. No Mortlock would have meant George Smith captaining the side and nothing would have been lost.

Mortlock failed in defence during the 53-8 thrashing by the Springboks at Ellis Park just two weeks before the Tri-Nations decider and in any other circumstance would not have held a place in the side, let alone captain. The strong thrust he can put into attack needs the space available at outside centre but even that has been lacking and at 30 years of age a replacement is needed well before the next World Cup in 2011.

Drew Mitchell is one whose attacking ability could well have been tested at centre three quarter. At full back Mitchell can hold his own in both attack and defence and there is nothing wrong with his kicking game. At 24 years of age he needs a spot to call his own and the number 13 jersey could sit well. Mitchell was the star attacker at the World Cup a year ago and now deserves something better than a run on utility back. So while Deans has excelled in some positions there are still some big steps to be taken before he has a world beating Wallaby outfit.

The wins by the Wallabies were brilliant while the losses catastrophic. Fundamental errors in the basic skills let them down and in one test the winning attitude was just not there. This was the second Test against the All Blacks at Eden Park and a similar scene followed in the Test at Ellis Park when the Springboks gave them a drubbing.

Consistency is needed and hopefully Deans will also improve them to a point where the team goes out to win with a group of players that will take them to the RWC 2011 in New Zealand.

Sam Cordingley, Stirling Mortlock, Matt Dunning and Al Baxter should have been left out of the end of year tour to give more youngsters a go on what should be viewed as a "development" tour. And the only reason Quade Cooper got a place was that Beale was still not considered fit enough to tour with the Wallabies although he is on a Waratahs Development two match tour to Fiji.

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