THE CONTRAST could hardly be starker. The Ireland squad dragged themselves from Wellington to Melbourne a tad wearily after the emotionally and physically draining exertions and acute disappointment of a defeat to the All Blacks, while the Wallabies excitedly looked to kick start a new era.

Into the 53rd week of the season, the Ireland squad were sensibly afforded another day off to saunter around the buzz of a cloudy and damp downtown Melbourne, with temperatures reaching a high of about 14 degrees on another bank holiday Monday.

Meantime, out in the suburb of Kew, about a 20-minute taxi ride outside Melbourne, the 30-man Wallabies squad enthusiastically went through another session in the spacious surrounds of Xavier College in front of a couple of hundred pupils.

Two fast-paced, if light-hearted games of tip rugby featured one player from each of nine surrounding schools who had been chosen to take part. According to one teacher, the boys couldn't sleep with the excitement the night before. The idea was apparently entirely Robbie Deans', as the Wallabies continue to promote the game in what may be a sports-mad city, but one in which the 15-a-side code is the poor relation of even the three oval ball games. The first 13 pages of one sports supplement featured only Aussie Rules.

Though only in the second week of the new regime, with Deans and the Waratahs players having been in opposite corners in the Super 14 final last Saturday week, seemingly Saturday's game in the enclosed Telstra Dome (kick-off 8.05pm local time, 11.05am Irish) cannot come quickly enough.

"There's a lot of fresh new faces and the enthusiasm at training has just been great, it's been a really positive start to the year, without even playing a game," said Adam Freier, the 20-times-capped hooker.

As one of 13 Waratahs players in the squad, and as Lote Tuqiri also admitted, Freier is grateful for the extra week's respite, revealing the physios are having a relatively easy time of it.

Deans, he adds, has also lived up to his expectations. "He's a quiet bloke, not to say our other coaches were ranting and raving, he just brings a certain aura and a lot of confidence to the team and the dynamic of the team. While you can get 15 of the best players out there it's what's behind the scenes that's got to work, and that's what he's really been pushing for. There's been a lot of laughs and a lot of hard work but it's been a really good start."

Tuqiri, now likely to be more of a team leader as well as their main strike runner on the back of his rejuvenated Super 14 form, concurs. "The boys have been very upbeat. That's certainly been one thing that's popped out more than anything else.

"Before and after training the guys are still upbeat, we get on the park, we do what we have to do and we get off, and aren't mulling around and having meetings here and meetings there, meetings about meetings."

Also part of their new ticket, of course, is Munster's forwards coach of the last three years, Jim Williams. He left Cork on the Wednesday after the Heineken Cup final, beginning work with the Wallabies the following Monday, and describes working with Deans as an eye-opener.

"Just his attitude - he's very calm, relaxed and just dictates at the right time. It's all about the players with him. I've been sitting back a little bit watching that.

"It's good to learn off him, and I've learned a lot in a week. It's his attitude towards how he wants to play the game and how he wants to get that across to the players. It's been excellent."

Williams admitted his primary emotion when the final whistle went in Cardiff a fortnight ago was one of relief.

"I didn't think we had been consistent in the games leading in, we just weren't showing any kind of form.

"There was a lot of pressure coming in for myself, personally, and for the forwards to make sure we could play well against Toulouse and match them in the set-piece.

"We did that superbly - for myself, personally, it was just relief, very happy for how the team played and for the whole team aspect."

The limited time span for his emotional leave-taking did not permit him the chance to say farewell to everyone, and despite his ever-smiling public persona, this would not be his first match of choice.

He played down the insider information he might have on the Munster forwards, though Freier said it has been very useful.

"Realistically, that's not going to count for too much," said Williams. "The Irish are very good at their individual analysis and I'll give the guys (Wallabies) some heads up on certain things on how players go and what they do."

Whether playing mind games or not, he added: "It's asking a lot of those guys, coming off such an intense season. I suppose we were a little bit selfish with the Munster team, with the forward pack coming through that season coming back from the World Cup then going into a Six Nations - that's asking a lot of players, especially when you're talking about 10, 12, 13 forwards that they haven't been rotating a lot .

"It's asking a lot, a helluva lot, from any player from anywhere in the world."