Wallabies halfback Tate McDermott has described his team as “pretty soft” in the wake of another Bledisloe Cup battering at the hands of the All Blacks.
Australia was blown away 38-21 at Perth’s Optus Stadium this afternoon as New Zealand completed a 3-0 trans-Tasman clean sweep and rocketed to the top of the Rugby Championship standings after two rounds.
McDermott has been one of the few Wallabies bright lights throughout the series, establishing himself as a genuine Test starter.
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But the Reds sparkplug was in no mood to talk up his own performance as he spoke with Stan Sport post-match.
“It’s so disappointing, frustrating I guess from our point of view,” McDermott said.
“It’s groundhog day. Every time we say we’re going to do something we don’t do it.
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“We’re pretty soft at the moment and that’s the honest assessment of it.
“We’ll pick the little positives we can out of that but we’ve got to get back on the horse because it’s only going to get tougher against South Africa from here.
“Incredibly disappointing.”
The Wallabies have the advantage of hosting the remainder of the Rugby Championship in Queensland as coronavirus complications forced a schedule reshuffle.
Winless after two games of the four-team competition, Dave Rennie’s side now prepare for next Sunday’s clash with the world champion Springboks on the Gold Coast.
McDermott was asked how the Wallabies could harden up as the brutal Boks lie in wait.
“We’ve got to just keep looking at ourselves in the mirror,” McDermott said.
“We’ve got to keep pointing at ourselves and being honest with our reviews.
“It’s no easy fix. We’ve got to be better, it’s as simple as that…
“We’re probably the most frustrating team to follow.
“So to every Australian fan sitting behind the couch, we thank you for your support and we’re going to have to get back on the horse and get a good performance for you.
“Eventually.”
