Robbie Deans defiant after under-strength Wallabies' loss

Australia coach Robbie Deans has defended his decision to rest a host of his first-choice players in their embarrassing 32-23 defeat to Samoa.

Deans left a number of star performers like Quade Cooper and James Horwill out, giving some fringe players a chance to push their claims for World Cup selection. The decision backfired, though, as his side were outplayed and out-muscled by the tiny pacific nation at ANZ Stadium on Sunday. It was a dismal start to the Wallabies' season, which continues with a Tri-Nations opener against South Africa this weekend and one eye on the World Cup starting in New Zealand in just two months.

Deans stood by his team selection yesterday, insisting it was simply performance and not personnel that led to the defeat. When asked if he should have picked his best available side with the World Cup so close, Deans said: "We're damned if we did and damned if we didn't. We've got a whole campaign to run and a six-day turnaround before playing South Africa in our first Tri-Nations outing this weekend.

"The Reds players didn't join us until late Monday and clearly needed a break. They'd come off a huge Super Rugby campaign and hadn't trained with us.

"Sure, we could have thrown them out there but the outcome may not have been much different and we would have been doubly worse off."

Deans admitted the loss was a timely wake-up call but scoffed at suggestions his players were arrogant..

"It's an easy suggestion to make under the circumstances but we just didn't play well," he said. The Wallabies should be boosted by the return of David Pocock (foot) for the clash with the Springboks on Saturday, but James O'Connor is still a doubt with a hamstring injury.