Former Wallabies hooker Phil Kearns has gone into bat for Robbie Deans, saying the ARU is partly responsible for Tuesday's embarrassing loss to Scotland.
Wallabies great Phil Kearns demanded the Australian Rugby Union take responsibility for Tuesday night's embarrassing 9-6 loss to Scotland in Newcastle.
The former Test hooker and current television commentator slammed the ARU for their scheduling of the match which he believes compromised Australian coach Robbie Deans.
Given just two sessions to prepare his troops for Scotland, Deans now has just three days before the Wallabies are forced to back up in their first Test against Wales in Brisbane.
Kearns said Deans and the players might have erred in tactics on the field, but insists they were given no help by the ARU.
"The ARU needs to take some responsibility for that," Kearns told Fox Sports News.
"Whether the game plan was right or wrong that's Robbie's responsibility with the team.
"But to lay all the blame at his feet is a little bit rich."
Kearns said Deans was given little option other than to field a weakened Australian side to face Scotland in disastrous conditions in Newcastle.
"The ARU has to take responsibility for it," continued Kearns.
"By scheduling a Test on a Tuesday ... a couple of guys have played some pretty intense Super Rugby, but (it's) also four days before another major Test match against Wales.
"So there was no way it was going to be a full-strength Australian side that could run out there and play that."
Asked post-match whether he thought Australia had disrespected Scotland by scheduling the Test mid-week, Deans said it was out of his control.
"You're talking to the wrong bloke really. There's a lot of respect from our group. Total respect. It's a Test match. But those decisions are made further up the food chain," he said.
ARU chief executive John O'Neill has previously defended the scheduling of the Scotland match.
O'Neill has said Scotland asked them for the game because they were travelling all the way out to play Fiji and Samoa.
The ARU attracted criticism after last year's World Cup for sending players on the Spring Tour of the northern hemisphere while counterparts South Africa and the All Blacks enjoyed three months off.
It meant Australian players had just a month to recover from a heavy international schedule before beginning pre-season training with their Super Rugby franchises.
