Wallabies embrace honesty session ahead of do-or-die Wales clash

The Wallabies must win this weekend if they want to keep their World Cup alive - and at least one member of the team is enjoying the pressure, writes JULIAN LINDEN.

SAINT-ETIENNE, FRANCE - SEPTEMBER 17: Australia Assistant Coach Neal Hatley during the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between Australia and Fiji at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on September 17, 2023 in Saint-Etienne, France. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Still stinging from their shock loss to Fiji at the Rugby World Cup, the Wallabies have been warned there’s no time to waste wallowing in self pity after the players admitted their performances were not good enough.

The brutal message from head coach Eddie Jones to his players and staff has been simple but necessary: just get on with the next game.

That’s this weekend against Wales and if the Wallabies don’t win they will be heading out the exit door before the knockout stages for the first time ever.

Already under fire, Jones is leaving nothing to chance, waking before sunrise each day as he plots Australia’s way to victory.

“I have to be honest with you, I‘ve worked with him for five years and he’s sharp every day,” scrum coach Neal Hatley said.

“That‘s not blowing smoke up his backside, he’s just that sort of individual. He leaves no stone unturned. My first message came through at about 04:30 this morning. That’s how he works.”

Australia Assistant Coach Neal Hatley. Picture: Getty Images

Jones has copped a pasting for his controversial decision to choose youth over experience for the World Cup and while his gamble hasn’t paid off yet, Hatley is adamant it was still the right call.

“Eddie has had a much closer look at where he believes Australian rugby is and what it needs to move forwards,” Hatley said. “I‘ve got a huge amount of faith in the plan he puts up.”

Hatley said he was impressed at the response from the players after the crushing defeat to Fiji — particularly the way they had owned up to their shortcomings.

While the Pacific Islanders produced one of their best performances ever, the Wallabies contributed to their own downfall with poor discipline and too many errors that they will need to sort out if they hope to beat the Welsh.

“They are a really honest group, one of the most honest groups I‘ve ever worked with,” Hatley said.

“There’s nothing dodged or brushed under — this is where we went wrong and this is what we need to fix. We’ve gone about doing that the last two days,” he said.

“As a coach, I would rather not be in this position but these are the weeks you coach for, (where) you are playing for the marbles. I would love to be in a position where we’ve won 10 from 10 and we’ve already qualified.

“That’s brilliant but these are great coaching weeks and I think they are great playing weeks.

“They understand what’s on the game and nobody is shying away from it.”

Australia's scrum-half Tate McDermott is expected back for the Wales match. Picture AFP

Halfback Tate McDermott — who will return after missing the Fiji match because of concussion protocols — was also brutally honest about the team’s performance against Fiji

He is available to play this weekend — possibly as captain with skipper Will Skelton still unavailable — and expects the team to lift.

“The leadership group took the boys aside and we had a couple of honest admissions, around boys putting their hand up and (saying) ‘that’s not what we stand for, that’s not good enough’,” McDermott said.

“The honesty in the group was awesome to see because yeah, it was a tough watch and we had to call that out.

“That’s what I really like about this group. After the game it was so quiet in the changing room because we knew exactly the situation we had put ourselves in.

“We were incredibly disappointed but what we‘ve seen is ’next man’. Whoever steps in this week, they have to do a job. It’s as simple as that.“

Originally published as Wallabies embrace honesty session ahead of do-or-die Wales clash