He wanted to know what an Aussie who followed rugby thought about the state of the national team. What were its strengths, what were its weaknesses?

Overall, the picture wasn't glowing, not surprising given Australia's humiliating quarter-final exit at the 2007 World Cup.

The chief worry, it seemed, was the supply of world-class talent left after the retirements of George Gregan, Stephen Larkham, Chris Latham and others. In many people's eyes Deans was inheriting his kitchen from Old Mother Hubbard.

Deans took it all in, although of course he had his own firm ideas.

And the first thing he set about doing was blooding players few had previously held a high regard for. In his first Test in charge, Deans gave starting caps to winger Peter Hynes and scrumhalf Luke Burgess. He picked Ryan Cross and Dean Mumm on the bench.

Throughout the season he awarded caps to Lachie Turner, James O'Connor, David Pocock, Quade Cooper and others.

While his team didn't clinch any of the really big prizes on offer, it ended 2008 with a sense that it had only been a few key moments away from a very, very good year. Some excellent young players had emerged.

Tonight Deans's Wallabies start their second Test campaign, having thumped a quite fancied Barbarians team last week in a non-Test match.

This time Deans isn't blooding a single rookie in his starting team. The un-capped Peter Kimlin has been named on the bench.

For the time being, Deans seemed satisfied his pool was deep enough, injuries to blindside flankers aside.

''It was always going to be a generational change with guys like Gregan, Larkham, Latham, etc moving on, players who had driven the destiny of the Wallabies for a long time,'' Deans said of his arrival at the helm last year.

''It was evident that that void was going to have to be filled. The perception of people I spoke to was that it was going to take time, and that's true. But it's surprising how quickly players will fill those voids given the opportunity.