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'We let so many people down': Wallabies rookie's ambitious promise to Australian fans for fourth All Blacks clash

By Alex McLeod
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

If fans are to expect anything from Bledisloe Cup IV in Brisbane this weekend, look out for a much better effort from the Wallabies compared to what they mustered in Sydney two days ago.

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That’s the promise that has been made by rookie Wallabies halfback Tate McDermott, who made his test debut for Australia off the bench in the 43-5 drubbing at ANZ Stadium – the biggest All Blacks win over their Tasman neighbours in 117 years.

Speaking to media alongside fellow debutant and Queensland Reds teammate Fraser McReight on Monday, McDermott said the entire squad was left reeling in the wake of the crushing result.

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Richie Mo’unga speaks to media following Bledisloe Cup III victory

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Richie Mo’unga speaks to media following Bledisloe Cup III victory

“I think it’s more about making amends rather than putting it as in it’s going to be big in the scheme of things,” the 22-year-old said of how he and his side are looking at this weekend’s final Bledisloe Cup match at Suncorp Stadium.

“For us, we’re going in the same mindset of making amends and doing our best out there, which is what we didn’t put up on the weekend.

“We’ve got a lot to work on. I’m not big on making promises, but what I will promise is that there will be a better showing on the weekend than that was.

“Whoever gets selected, I’m sure they’ll do a wonderful job and represent Australia with pride and passion that probably wasn’t there on the weekend.”

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Lessons will have to be absorbed quickly if McDermott and his peers are to deliver on that promise, but the youngster claimed his energetic display off the bench has already acted as a steep learning curve.

Defensive awareness and in-game temperament are just two key aspects of test match rugby that McDermott has attained greater understanding of leading into this weekend’s dead-rubber showdown.

“I came up against TJ Perenara, who’s obviously a pretty experienced campaigner. You saw that [with] that blindside try [to Rieko Ioane] on our five metre line. In hindsight, we should have brought another defender across in order to stop that,” McDermott noted.

“The other one is just having composure out there. I think as a whole team, with the 15 players on there, we need to be cool-headed. We knew the plan, we just didn’t execute it.

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“It’s very tough coming on with 20 minutes and trying to change what has been done in that past 60 minutes, particularly against the All Blacks, who are one of, if not the best, in world rugby at the moment.”

Such a tough induction onto the international stage may have been an overwhelming experience for some, although McDermott is confident nobody within the Wallabies camp is too dismayed about the crushing defeat.

In fact, the loss seems to have left Dave Rennie’s squad in a redemptive mood, with the one-test prospect refusing to make excuses after conceding he and his teammates had let multiple people down.

“I don’t think there’s too many people here that would have their confidence shattered. In saying that, we’re hurting. All of us are hurting. We let so many people down.

“These are the building blocks. We’re not going to make that excuse that we’re a young side and all that rubbish that we’ve done in the past.

“I think that’s the start and we can only go up, so, like I keep saying, we’ve got a lot to work on, and each of us are doing that. We’re trying to get better.”

That eagerness to bounce back strongly partially stems from the envy that came with watching All Blacks captain Sam Cane lift aloft the Blesidloe Cup.

The record defeat on Saturday ensured the All Blacks will keep the esteemed trophy on New Zealand shores for yet another summer as they extend their remarkable iron grip on the Bledisloe Cup for an 18th consecutive year.

In every one of those years, both McDermott and McReight watched on as fans while the likes of Reuben Thorne, Tana Umaga, Richie McCaw and Kieran Read all succeeded each other in showing off the silverware in front of their Australian counterparts.

Saturday handed the youthful pair with their first taste of what it’s like to be on the receiving end of that as a player, and it’s an experience neither of them want to endure again.

“It’s upsetting, it’s disappointing, but at least we know what to expect now so that next year we don’t make the same mistake twice,” McDermott said.

“Personally, it’s actually hard to watch, particularly when you see the smiles on their faces, the disappointment in the crowd, all that kind of little stuff that really eats away at you.

“Not ideal to make your debut and watch Sam Cane lift that trophy, but for me personally, it lit the fire and now we know exactly what we’re working towards.”

Whether or not McDermott and McReight will get an opportunity to try and make up for their team’s shortcomings this weekend remains to be seen, but it should be said that both were impressive in their cameos off the bench.

Making his name as a dangerous attacking threat, McDermott brought plenty of impetus when he replaced incumbent halfback Nic White in the second half, and could even challenge for a starting role in front of his home crowd on Saturday.

McReight, however, was more philosophical in his approach towards selection, acknowledging that the leadership and experience of Wallabies captain Michael Hooper should be too immense for him to surrender the No. 7 jersey anytime soon.

“I’m a seven, I’ve got a pretty good mentor and player in front of me, who is also captain as well, so I’m not really banking on starting anytime soon,” the 21-year-old said of Hooper.

“I’m here to work, I’m here to get better both on and off the field, and I think the best thing I can do is just soak up all the knowledge that Hoops can give me and just be the best person for the team to prepare against.

“For me, I’m going to push at every training, every time I can to make sure I’m in the selectors’ minds, but definitely not thinking of a start. That’s probably too far ahead of my head.

“Would love to get some more minutes on the bench and work my way and achieve that goal to start, but I think I’ve got a bit to work on.”

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J
Jon 25 minutes ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

32 Go to comments
j
john 3 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 5 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 7 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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