Robbie Deans has ruled out a return to coach the Wallabies again.
"No, you don't go back. It's never good to go back, I don't think," said Deans, who coached Australia from 2008-13.
The New Zealander is back in Australia as coach of the Saitama Wild Knights, where his wildly successful club coaching career continues.
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The Wild Knights will play the Queensland Reds at Ballymore in Brisbane on Saturday as the teams tune up for their 2024 campaigns.
Deans had been mooted as a potential replacement for Eddie Jones, who quit 10 months into his five year Wallabies contract.
"You have everything you need here, you'll solve it. There's a lot of passionate rugby people – just tap into those who care and you'll find a way through," he told reporters.
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"I'm not passing judgement on any decisions anyone else made. It's obviously a chapter that's closed – which is probably a good thing. I think there's been enough said about that, Elvis has left the building.
"They can, and they will (recover), they've got a great era coming in the game here, and as we'll see (on Saturday) you've got players who want to be part of it.
"That's what you feed off. Don't worry about the past – that chapter is closed, which is probably a good thing."
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Deans (43 wins) ranks second behind only Bob Dwyer (46) for most wins by a Wallabies coach.
He led Australia to the semi-finals of the 2011 Rugby World Cup where they lost 20-6 to eventual champions New Zealand.
Deans' 58.1 per cent Test winning record is also superior to successors Ewen McKenzie, Michael Cheika, Dave Rennie and Jones.
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh told reporters on Tuesday that nationality wouldn't be a factor in appointing the next coach – but that was contradicted a day later when chairman Hamish McLennan said his preference was for an Australian.
"It's never as bad as people suggest, it's never as good as people suggest," Deans said about the Australian landscape, after the Wallabies' worst ever World Cup campaign.
"There's not enough people thinking about how it's the players' game and people thinking beyond their time, beyond their term.
"Leadership is looking beyond where you are at any given moment.
"You've got to be willing to go somewhere beyond where you are.
"It's going to take governance, it (Australian rugby) has been very short term oriented. Every nation needs to tend to the domestic market first. I think some of the governance is distracted by the glitter, the glamour and the gold, and they're missing the point.
"If you don't cater for your domestic market, you don't have a future."
RA on Thursday announced that former Wallabies Andrew Slack and Justin Harrison would conduct a review into the failed World Cup campaign along with experienced consultant Darlene Harrison.
"It's really important for Australia to be relevant in southern hemisphere rugby. The risk is we look at it and say in nine out of 10 World Cups we'll always be relevant," Deans said.
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"No, and you've seen that through this World Cup… everyone expected 50 per cent of the semi-finalists to be in the northern hemisphere, maybe more. They're hungry, they want it, they're working for it."
"Every nation has got the same challenge, you can't presume you'll be relevant in the future. Keep learning, keep growing, keep putting the work in, and the future will be right."
WALLABIES COACHES RANKED BY WINNING PERCENTAGE
1: Rod Macqueen (79.1%) — 43 games, 34 wins, 8 losses, 1 draw
2: Alan Jones (68.4%) — 19 games, 13 wins, 5 losses, 1 draw
3: David Brockhoff (66.7%) — 15 games, 10 wins, 5 losses
4: John Connolly (64%) — 25 games, 16 wins, 8 losses, 1 draw
5: Greg Smith (63.2%) — 19 games, 12 wins, 7 losses
6: Bob Dwyer (63%) — 73 games, 46 wins, 25 losses, 2 draws
7: Daryl Haberecht (60%) — 5 games, 3 wins, 2 losses
8: Robbie Deans (58.1%) — 74 games, 43 wins, 29 losses, 2 draws
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