Ewen McKenzie was named as new coach of the Wallabies yesterday after the Australian Rugby Union decided to part ways with New Zealander Robbie Deans.

The 53-year-old Deans, who had been Australia’s first foreign coach, led the team for 74 tests in his five-and-a-half years in charge, a record for a Wallabies coach.

McKenzie, a popular local choice who guided the Queensland Reds to a maiden Super Rugby title in 2011, will take the reins six weeks before they play the opening match of the Rugby Championship against bitter rivals New Zealand.

The former Wallabies prop had put his hand up for the role earlier in the year and had beaten out a strong candidate in World Cup-winning coach Jake White, now at the ACT Brumbies.

“I’m looking forward to saddling up with the Wallabies,” McKenzie told reporters yesterday.

“There’s a thousand things I need to work on. I’ll be picking a team that I think can beat the All Blacks and I’m really looking forward to that task.”

The media call came hours after the ARU issued a news release saying Deans had stepped down.

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