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'World-class: The four 'brilliant' England players listed as key threats by Wallabies star
By Alex McLeod
Six years after watching the Wallabies succumb to a winless test series on home soil, Tate McDermott is eager to turn Australia’s luckless fortunes against England around next month.
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McDermott will feature for the Wallabies against the touring English over the coming weeks in what promises to be a blockbuster three-test series in Australia, which kicks-off in Perth in a fortnight’s time.
The series will be the first between the two countries since England swept the Wallabies in Australia in 2016 with three wins from as many matches.
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McDermott watched that series as a teenager on the Sunshine Coast, where the Wallabies are currently residing at the resort that the 23-year-old halfback worked at as a “dish pig” between 2015 and 2016.
Speaking to media from his former workplace on Thursday, McDermott reflected on the 2016 series, which kickstarted an active winless run for Australia against England that has lasted eight matches.
Eager to help the Wallabies snap that losing streak, McDermott is also aware of the difficulty that challenge poses.
Led by ex-Wallabies boss Eddie Jones, whose first assignment in charge of England was the 2016 series win over Australia, the English possess a wealth of talent and experience, making them favourites to enjoy further success Down Under.
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Among those who make England as strong as they are include captain Owen Farrell, star lock Maro Itoje, veteran halfback Ben Youngs and promising youngster Marcus Smith, all of whom McDermott pinpointed as key figures for the English.
“Coming off a pretty good World Cup in 2015, I guess Australia were favourites at home, but it just proves – this year especially – the English are class,” McDermott said of England’s series win six years ago.
“They’ve got a brilliant core playing squad, which are pretty similar to the guys they brought over here [in 2016], guys like Farrell, Itoje, Youngs, even Marcus Smith.
“Obviously he [Smith] didn’t come over in 2016, but he’s a world-class player, and Eddie Jones is still there at the helm.
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“Watching those games as a fan, obviously it’s disappointing losing all three, but at the same time, to see all the support that Australians showed, and also that the English showed up as well, it’s going to be a massive series and one that we’re really excited for.”
In order to negate the threats posed by those players, McDermott and his Wallabies teammates will have to be at their best across all three tests in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney throughout the course of July.
Competition for starting roles within the Wallabies camp may play its hand in ensuring the best is brought out of those within Dave Rennie’s squad.
In the case of McDermott, he faces an uphill battle to secure a starting place at halfback from Nic White and Jake Gordon, all of whom have valid claims to don the No 9 jersey at Optus Stadium in two weeks’ time.
Entering his third season as a Wallaby, McDermott is beginning to build the international experience to match his world-beating talents as a dangerous ball-running halfback.
However, he knows he can’t afford to rest on his laurels as training begins to ramp up with kick-off for the 2022 test campaign ticking closer and closer.
“It’s been a pretty good journey so far. It’ll be my third year in this set-up,” McDermott said.
“Just shows you that there’s so many other guys coming through that could be here as well, so not only am I lucky to be here, but just to have the players around me that I can learn off.
“Guys like Nic White, guys like Jake Gordon, Quade Cooper, all those kind of guys in this environment, what a brilliant chance for me to get better as a player and also as a person having the staff we have around here.
“There’s always that competition factor. Still very early days in the camp. We’ll start our field session tomorrow.
“We’re just doing light skills today, but I’m sure that extra fierceness and competitiveness between everyone, not just the halfbacks, but every position will come out, because at the end of the day, everyone wants to be starting.
“Everyone wants to be in that [match day] 23 come the Perth test match.”
