Australia win over England gives coach renewed hope

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's hard-fought win over England at Twickenham has given coach Robbie Deans renewed confidence that he can still salvage something from an otherwise disappointing season.

The Wallabies did not reach any great heights in their 18-9 victory over the English on Saturday but after losing six of their seven tests against South Africa and New Zealand this season, any win was always going to be welcome.

Importantly for Deans, the victory came after he had lost a host of experienced players to injuries, including centre pairing of Stirling Mortlock and Berrick Barnes, forcing him to put his faith in the next generation of players.

The younger crop of players all performed above expectations with 21-year-old Quade Cooper excelling in the centres and scrumhalf Will Genia, also 21, winning the man of the match award after scoring a try.

Deans has made no secret that he wants to use the tour to blood new players in the hope of getting them ready for the 2011 World Cup.

He has already handed out first test caps to almost a dozen players aged 22 or less in the last two seasons and there are another seven uncapped players on the tour.

"The coming together as group is the critical thing," Deans told the Australian Associated Press.

"We haven't had a lot of continuity, to be fair, for many reasons.

"But we do have a group here that's emerging, we believe, and should take some belief out of this."

(Reporting by Julian Linden; Editing by John O'Brien)