Behind the four-yearly Rugby World Cup, Lions tours are the biggest, most-anticipated events on the rugby circuit and the Australian Rugby Union will be desperate to ensure they have a team brimming with confidence.
Queensland coach Ewen McKenzie isn't campaigning for the top job but he is an obvious successor who has proven he can orchestrate immediate reversals of fortune.
With an unprecedented amount of injuries robbing Deans of more than half of his best 22-man squad, a host of rising rookies have gained valuable test experience in the 10 tests thus far this year (six wins, four losses) to ensure depth will be stronger in 2013.
"Obviously we've experienced a fair amount of adversity but we'll get the benefit from this time," a beaming Deans said after the gutsy Rosario win.
A 3-3 record in the Rugby Championship and a second-place finish in the tournament shouldn't be sneezed at but also shouldn't be celebrated.
The fact remains the Wallabies never challenged the All Blacks in their two opening matches - continuing a frustrating decade-long Bledisloe Cup drought - and that was before the bulk of injuries hit.
Since then they split their matches with the erratic Springboks and scored tense wins over Argentina.
The spirit shown in the weekend's success over the Pumas made a mockery of disgruntled playmaker Quade Cooper's claim the Wallabies house a "toxic environment".
In Cooper's place, close amigo Kurtley Beale has stood up brilliantly and now he looms as the main man to rejuvenate them at No10.
Michael Hooper has remarkably filled the big boots of David Pocock while fellow rookies Sitaleki Timani, Kane Douglas, Nick Phipps, Liam Gill, Ben Tapuai and Mike Harris have taken their chances to look like test players.AAP
