The Wallabies will launch their Bledisloe Cup campaign against the All Blacks on July 29,hopeful of casting aside two bitterly disappointing defeats to South Africa and Argentina at the MCG.
Tate McDermott has been a livewire for the Wallabies.Getty
Eddie Jones’ squad has been blasted for its performances,particularly the clash with the Pumas to succumb in a last-minute defeat.
An inability to defend errors and penalties has been particularly alarming – conceding 25 penalties across the two games while receiving just 14.
Australian halfback McDermott believes the attacking style of play Jones was stressing upon the Wallabies would play into his and winger Marika Koroibete’s strengths,but he admitted teammates coming from more structured systems would take time to adjust.
The Queensland co-captain said given the lacklustre results Australia had produced in recent years,the team would need to stick with its changes throughout the World Championship to make an impression come this year’s World Cup.
“For us,we know that what we’ve done in the past hasn’t worked for us,so with this new game model there’s going to be growing pains and there’s going to be adjustments,” McDermott said.
“We’re trying to play a game that’s a hell of a lot more unstructured than what we have in the past,and given the way the Super Rugby teams[play],there’s teams that play unstructured and there’s teams that are very structured,so there’s going to be a transition period.
“There’s guys who are definitely going to have to upskill those areas because they haven’t played like that before,and that’s the challenge that we’re faced with,but they’re improving.
“Did I think it would take this long?
“Probably not,but things are looking positive and I know that’s frustrating to hear from a supporters’ point of view because it’s bloody frustrating from our point of view as well.
“We say it every year,we want to get results for Australia and we seem to fall short the majority of those years.”
The potential comeback of Taniela Tupou could prove a crucial injection against New Zealand,with the prop overcoming a ruptured Achilles tendon for Australia A against Tonga last week.
McDermott believed the 135kg powerhouse could be key to overturning their struggles in the territory battle - spending just 27 per cent and 37 per cent of time in enemy territory across the opening two games.
Wallabies prop Taniela Tupou.Getty
“You look at what the All Blacks did to the Springboks on the weekend,particularly at the set piece and around the park in terms of their physicality and what[Tupou] does is he just shores that up,” McDermott said.
“He’s a big body and he’s athletic and we’re going to need him come game time at the MCG.”