PARIS: In his own words, Robbie Deans suspects "there will always be pockets of resistance" to his appointment as the first foreign coach of the Wallabies.

But there shouldn't be too many, according to at least one man Deans beat to the job. Former NSW Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie, now at the helm of Stade Francais in Paris after losing out to Deans, says the wily New Zealander, who missed out on the All Blacks position before winning over the ARU, has proven a revelation in his first season with the Wallabies.

McKenzie says Deans' introduction of 13 newcomers to the Wallabies has been a breath of fresh air for Australian rugby. He singled out unsung winger Peter Hynes, who until this year had been continually overlooked by national selectors despite being a standout for the Queensland Reds for several Super 14 seasons, as an inspired left-field selection from Deans.

"Hynes, I think, has been a great investment," McKenzie said before the Wallabies' Test against France in Paris on Saturday night (Sunday morning, Sydney time).

"Hynes is a bloke I was going to have a crack at getting for the Waratahs. I knew exactly why Deans was investing in him because he's played 10, 12, 13, wing all with aplomb and is in the game all the time. He's just correct. He does all the little things."

McKenzie has also been impressed by Deans' ability to galvanise the Wallabies into a tight bunch. "I think definitely the cultural area of the team, he's made an investment there which I don't think has been made prior, or not often," McKenzie said. "So he's aligned the team. They know what's expected."

AAP