1 Aug 2009

Deans' father dies, Wallabies to prepare without him

11:55 am on 1 August 2009

The Wallabies will spend most of the week preparing for next weekend's Tri Nations rugby showdown with the Springboks in Cape Town without coach Robbie Deans, whose father Anthony Deans has passed away in Christchurch.

The Australians arrived in South Africa without Deans, who instead rushed home after learning his father was gravely ill on Friday morning.

He is not expected to arrive in Cape Town until Thursday, leaving assistant coaches Jim Williams and Richard Graham to take charge of the Wallabies' training sessions in the meantime.