True to his word, new Wallabies coach Robbie Deans threw reputations out the window before naming his 30-man squad for Australia's upcoming Tests against Ireland and France.

After omitting Wallabies regular Mark Gerrard and high-profile rugby league recruit Timana Tahu, Deans then instructed the 30 players who made his initial Wallabies squad - plus the 26-strong Australia A squad members - to leave their egos at the door.

"Personally, I'm not too concerned about what's been before," Deans said.

"I'm very interested in what there is here and now and what we can produce from this point forward."

The selection of seven rookies sent a strong message that the 48-year-old New Zealander - the first-ever foreigner to coach the Australian rugby union team - was prepared to make sweeping changes to the Wallabies culture if it meant meeting ARU boss John O'Neill's strict criteria.

"And, really, it's about making us the pre-eminent rugby nation in the world," O'Neill said. "That's our aspiration.

"Clearly, the win-loss ratio in rugby and in sport generally is inescapable and we've reflected in the past four years that around 60 per cent is simply not a ratio that we're happy with.

"When you look back over successful periods, somewhere between 75 and 80 per cent tends to bring silverware to the cupboard."

Deans said he wasn't feeling under pressure to bring about instant success.

"(Because) I expect it myself of myself, to be fair," he said.

"But I'm not a believer in pressure because it's not a visible thing. Pressure is what you let in, I guess.

"We'll work really hard to thrive and to make the most of the opportunity we've got.

"You seldom play the perfect game but, as long as you strive for it, you're much more likely to get close to it."

A long-time admirer, O'Neill lauded Deans for possessing brilliant man-management skills, likening the former All Blacks assistant to World Cup-winning Wallabies coach Rod Macqueen and successful Socceroos manager Guus Hiddink.

O'Neill predicted such a quality would allow Deans to take Australia back to the top of the rugby tree during his four-year reign.

Only on Saturday, Deans won his fifth Super rugby title with the Crusaders.

Two days on and he was making his newfound allegiances clear - and refusing to apologise to diehard New Zealand fans for crossing the Tasman

to lead their fiercest rivals.

"Obviously some people might have difficulty

with the fact that I was born in New Zealand. I have none," Deans said.

"It's my aim to hopefully look back and have a sense of contribution to Australian rugby and, to those who do struggle with the concept, hopefully they'll look back and say `well, yes, he made a difference'."

Deans plans on making that difference by instilling a similar culture that existed at the Crusaders, where playing for each other meant more than personal glory - or money.

"The game doesn't change, I guess, and the component parts of the game don't change," Deans said.

"For me, I'm a great believer that the invisible factors are often the point of difference.

"And by the invisible factors, I mean the bonds that are created between the players, and the motivations.

"You can acquire knowledge and you can acquire skill just through research and hard work.

"But often the defining thing is what really drives you - and you can be sure it has nothing to do with money.

"That's the point of difference.

"I think since the advent of professionalism,

there's been a little bit of confusion in terms of what drives these blokes.

"I hope the group of men that we gather won't

be driven by peripheral factors because we'll be as good as the chemistry within the group, ultimately."

In addition to the seven rookies - NSW trio Luke Burgess, Dean Mumm, and Lachie Turner, Western Force duo Ryan Cross and Richard Brown, Queensland's Peter Hynes and unheralded Brumbies prop Ben Alexander - Deans named a total of 13 Waratahs in his squad.

Stirling Mortlock retains the captaincy, while 16 players, including Test certainty Dan Vickerman, who revealed he needed surgery for an ankle injury - were not considered for

selection.

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