Tate McDermott might have been the fans favourite to wear the No.9 jersey for the Wallabies, but Dave Rennie has revealed that kicking and experience ultimately proved decisive factors in who got the nod to line up against the All Blacks in Bledisloe I at Wellington's Sky Stadium on Sunday.
Rennie shocked many by leaving out McDermott.
The Reds halfback turned heads with his eye-catching performances all year where his running game and courageous defensive efforts proved pivotal in their run to the Super Rugby AU final.
Instead, the New Zealand coach has turned to veteran halfback Nic White, who over the years has built a reputation of being one of the best exponents of the box-kick in the world, and Waratah Jake Gordon, who is in-line to play his second Test off the bench.
Rennie said that White's experience would be vital for the Wallabies, where only two players (captain Michael Hooper and winger Marika Koroibete) from the starting XV that took the field against England in their quarter-final loss remain.
"Nic White is really experienced, obviously he’s come out of the Exeter program for the last three years," Rennie said.
"One of the strongest clubs in Europe.
"He’s really added in that area as well. With (debutants) Hunter (Paisami), Filipo (Daugunu) on the field, we thought it was important we add a bit of experience around them."
Asked whether McDermott was considered given his strong campaign for the Reds and the ready-built combination with fly-half James O'Connor, Rennie said that Gordon's kicking game and ability, therefore, to control the tempo of the game held sway.
"Like a number of spots, it’s tight," Rennie said.
"I thought Tate was excellent for the Reds, he’s a real impact player and his ability to attack.
"In the end we looked at Jake who has a better kicking game. We figured that would be really important in pressure situations. There’s not a lot between those guys."
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As exciting and dynamic as McDermott has been for the past two years, the 22-year-old's pass and lack of kicking game are still apparent.
In the qualifying final against the Rebels, McDermott twice put his teammates under pressure with dodgy passes while he was reluctant to go to the box-kick.
Earlier in the year, the Sunshine Coast product worked weekly with former Wallabies halfback Will Genia on the fundamentals of the game after being dropped by Reds coach Brad Thorn for those very reasons.
Gordon, 27, had a strong finish to the year after an injury-plagued to start to 2020.
His coach Rob Penney, who spent two years in Ireland with Munster, compared Gordon to Irish great Conor Murray after scoring a hat-trick against the Reds in August.
“He reminds me of – and I don’t like comparing players but I will – Conor Murray of Ireland,” Penney said.
“When I was over there, Conor’s kicking game really developed and he has become one of the best in the world as we know.
“I just see a lot of similarities with Jake, his physicality, his athleticism and his kicking game and then, last night, his game management.”
Meanwhile, Rennie paid tribute to playmakers O'Connor and Matt To'omua after the veteran duo were picked at fly-half and inside centre.
