The Wallabies are sticking together as a group, eager to turn their fortunes around as they prepare for a brutal Bledisloe clash in Dunedin.
Saturday's defeat at the MCG leaves Eddie Jones' side winless in 2023, with the task even more difficult this week as they head to Forsyth Barr Stadium without captain Allan Alaalatoa.
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Alaalatoa was ruled out for the rest of the year and potentially the start of 2024 after rupturing his Achilles.
“What the spectators see in Al (Alaalatoa) is that he’s an abrasive player, he’s a leader off the field. He is the binding figure in our group,” hooker David Porecki said.
“He is one of the great men in us that drives everyone to be better and the standards so it was a huge loss and gutting being out there with him when he got injured
“I know he’ll come back bigger and better. He’s already helping us and the leadership group. He’ll play a pretty pivotal role (in) getting through his rehab and touching base.
“We’ve got boys that can step up (now) when previously, we might not have had that depth. Now we have 3-4 in each position looking to have a crack. Whatever happens this week in terms of selection, I know that the boys are ready to do that.”
It's the second major injury in the space of two games, with backline leader Len Ikitau's fractured scapula leaving him in a race to be fit for September's World Cup.
Porecki preached the importance of the group's deep connection as the key towards rebounding, starting on Saturday.
“This group has been together now for two or three years so that’s pretty strong and Eddie is big on that," he explained
“He knows that the nucleus of the team is the players and the players need to run the show, not literally but if we are strongly connected as a team on and off the field, the performance will show that if we are still together as a team when it’s tough.”
Porecki also threw his support behind Jones, believing he has transformed how the hooker views his game and his preparation.
“It’s been spot on so far. He’s a fantastic operator and the boys have loved his interaction," he added.
“He definitely challenges your way of thinking in a positive way that even for the older boys that haven’t been exposed to it…I thought I knew how a program is meant to be run and how things during the week are meant to be and he’s opened our eyes to different possibilities on how to do stuff that’s interesting
“I see it as positives for this group. I see it as positives in the teams that I’ll be in the future that you can implement…he always wants to continue to learn, continue to progress in his own career.”
