From nine Tests,Australia have conceded 124 penalties - an average of 13.78 per match. It’s two more,on average,than their opponents (11.56 per match).

The Wallabies have not conceded fewer than 10 penalties in any Test this year.

On just two occasions —against England at the SCG and in the firstBledisloe Cup match in Melbourne — have the Wallabies’ opponents given away more penalties.

As for yellow and red cards,Australia’s record doesn’t make for pretty reading either. The men in gold have copped 11 yellow cards and one red card in 2022.

By comparison,their opponents have been shown eight yellow cards.

“[Discipline] is massive ... particularly coming up against these northern hemisphere sides,” McDermott said. “They feed off field position and if you give away a penalty,you’re in your own corner,you’re under the pump. We’re just trying to get that out of our game. We understand it’s not going to happen overnight.”

It will be intriguing to see what style of game the Wallabies implement. A winless spring tour last year,which included defeats to Scotland,England and Wales,will have forced a rethink when it comes to strategy.

Asked whether Australia would be audacious or conservative,McDermott suggested somewhere in the middle was the sweet spot.

“I think we’ve tried to change into a hybrid side — fans will probably hate to hear this — where we kick a little more,” McDermott said. “It’s not aimless kicking though.

“That’s been the biggest criticism of Wallabies teams in the past ... that when we try and kick more,it’s pretty aimless.

“For us we need to make sure we’re smart. We’ve got to make sure that when we pull the trigger,the opportunity is there and we execute it. We’ve got to be smart.”

Watch all the action from the Wallabies Spring Tour with every match streaming ad-free,live and on demand on Stan Sport. Kicks off this weekend with Japan v All Blacks (Saturday 4pm AEDT) and Scotland v Wallabies (Sunday 3.10am AEDT).