TATE BORN TO RUN
Wallabies’ nippy new No.9 vows to do what he does best
IN news that will be welcomed by everyone hoping to see an end to the Wallabies’ losing streak, Tate Mcdermott has vowed not to change the way he plays the game.
Thank goodness for that, because the Queensland halfback represents one of the few glimmers of hope in a team that has got caught in a rut after abandoning the Australian way of playing.
Mcdermott, 24, is a throwback to a time when halfbacks lived by their wits and ran with the ball in hand rather than just kick for field position.
But it’s a risky strategy at a time when defences are better organised and more adept at pinching the ball off smaller players who get caught.
The preferred strategy, at least according to modern, conservative thinking, is for halfbacks to play the odds and stick to the percentages. That’s cost Mcdermott his place. Although he’s played 18 Tests, mostly off the bench, he’s been unwanted for the whole of 2022, apart from a few brief cameos.
The safety-first approach hasn’t worked for the Wallabies though. They’ve slumped to ninth in the world rankings, prompting a rethink. Mcdermott has been rushed into the starting jersey for this weekend’s Test against Scotland.
“It‘s something I’ve wanted to do for a while now. I’ve kind of had to bide my time a little bit. I’m free to express myself,” Mcdermott said.
“If you look at the players I‘m competing against, they’re two bloody good halfbacks.
“So it is frustrating in a sense, but at the same time, you’re missing out too, not only good players, but good blokes.”
Rather than be bitter at being overlooked for so long, Mcdermott has spent his time looking at ways to improve.
While he says he’ll never quit his instinctive running game, he’s paid much closer attention to the way White and Gordon are able to control matches and come to realise he doesn’t only have to score spectacular tries to contribute.
“I’ve just got to have a solid game. I don’t have to set the world alight,” he said.
“I’m going to make sure that the boys outside me, I’m giving them not only good ball but good comms (communication).
“But I’m playing with a free licence and I’ll be looking forward to seeing what’s in front of me.”
Sunday’s match is the first of Australia’s five end-of-year European Tests. The Wallabies have just five more Tests in 2023 before the World Cup kicks off in early September.
All eyes are on the World Cup but after waiting so long for his chance to get back in the team, Mcdermott is taking a different approach.
“Based off our previous performances, we can’t afford to look 10 games ahead,” he said.
“Obviously, the World Cup’s probably in the back of everyone’s mind but at the forefront is a massive game at Murrayfield then a week after a massive game in Paris.”
The Scots won’t be at full strength because the match falls outside the international window so their foreign-based players are unavailable.