Wallabies share update on McDermott’s injury ahead of Perth Bledisloe

Wallabies scrum-half Tate McDermott is set to spend an extended period on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, which the 27-year-old sustained during last weekend’s 33-24 loss to the All Blacks at Eden Park.

McDermott was named in Australia’s starting side for just the second time in 2025, having also worn the No. 9 jersey against Fiji in Newcastle. With Nic White retiring from Wallabies duty yet again, that Test loomed as a golden opportunity for McDermott, but disaster struck early.

With the All Blacks leading 13-3, McDermott left the contest in the 18^th minute. Ryan Lonergan was injected into the match earlier than expected, marking the halfback’s long-awaited debut in Wallaby gold.

Sacha’s Springbok moment

Sacha’s Springbok moment

All Blacks lock Fabian Holland had cleaned McDermott out of a breakdown, leaving the Wallaby in some discomfort, before he was helped from the field. The Wallabies released an injury update on Tuesday, revealing the severity of the concerning leg injury.

In a statement on social media, the Wallabies confirmed McDermott requires surgery. It’s also understood the 50-Test scrum-half will spend an extended stint on the sidelines during the recovery process.

 

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The Wallabies have already released a squad update ahead of Bledisloe II in Perth, revealing White has joined the squad to help them prepare for the clash with the All Blacks. White has retired from international rugby twice now, but finds himself back in Wallabies camp.

Rob Valetini, Will Skelton and Josh Flook have also joined the national squad, as the Australians look to bounce back against their arch-rivals, to level the two-match series at one win apiece when they clash at Perth’s Optus Stadium on Saturday.

Australia fired plenty of shots in last weekend’s nine-point loss in Auckland, reducing the deficit to just two points with about 10 minutes to play. Cam Roigard scored late to all but secure the win, with the All Blacks retaining the Bledisloe Cup for another year.

“We had 40 per cent of the possession in that game and we’re down four tries to three and that’s probably reflective of what we need to do better,” Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said post-game.

“We missed probably three or four times as many tackles as the All Blacks did and so that’s on us, the referee’s not going to make the tackles for us.

“We’ve got to roll our sleeves up and make sure that we deliver those, we’ve got to make sure we hang on to position better.

“We have frustrations and they’re across the board but some we can influence and some we’ve got to make sure we improve upon for next week.”