Wallabies keen to end Rugby Championship campaign with another victory

Having felt they ‘let down’ their coach Dave Rennie last year, the Wallabies have been intent on making amends in 2021.

A final Rugby Championship win for Australia on Saturday will end a winning home campaign which halfback Nic White says the Wallabies felt they owed coach Dave Rennie after a horror 2020.

Former Melbourne Rebels flanker Sean McMahon – who hasn’t played a Test since 2017 when he joined Japanese club Suntory Sungoliath – will return to the national line-up from the bench in the rematch with Argentina on the Gold Coast.

Victory over Las Pumas at Cbus Super Stadium would give the Wallabies a sixth victory from 10 matches this year against France, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina.

The Wallabies took down the world champion Springboks twice, a far cry from 2020 when Australia managed only two draws with the Pumas and just one win from six Tests under new coach Rennie.

White said the players didn’t meet the standards that not just Rennie expected, but Wallabies fans deserved, last year.

‘World class’ Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has guided Australia to five wins from nine Tests this year. Picture: Albert Perez / Getty Images

“Dave and ‘Wisey’ (assistant coach Scott Wisemantel) are world class and last year as a playing group we almost felt like we let them down,” White said.

“Their detail within the game is quite high and they drive really high standards.

“It’s almost a game of catch-up for us as a group to play at the level they want us to play at – the benchmark they have is quite high, but we’re getting there.”

White missed the matches against France with a knee injury before regaining his place in the starting line-up from Tate McDermott.

The 31-year-old said the evolution of the team after spending more time with Rennie was evident in their patience before going for the “killer play”.

He said the return of an older and wiser Quade Cooper against the Springboks, after Australia’s horror show against the All Blacks, had helped.

“I think we‘re getting there; certainly in the last month we’re showing we’re a lot more patient with the game plan and trying to build a game,” White said

“I haven‘t played a huge amount with (Cooper), but just from the last few games, the control he has over the game is probably the biggest thing.

“He’s really calm at 10 and he knows how to pull the right strings and manipulate the game plan to really suit the way we want to play the game.

“He has a really calm voice and just seems to have a lot of time, so my job is easy – just get there and flip the ball to him.”

Originally published as Wallabies keen to end Rugby Championship campaign with another victory