On the field, Tate McDermott plays what is front of him.

It is that heads-up vision which the Wallabies have long needed.

Off the field, the livewire scrum-half called the Wallabies’ abject performance against the All Blacks for what it was: “embarrassing”.

It is that critical analysis that is needed for the Wallabies to turn the corner ahead of Sunday’s final Bledisloe of the year because talking up their chances has become a broken record.

Ahead of Bledisloe II, headlines were printed either side of the ditch that a Wallaby had been so foolish to say the All Blacks had their “aura”.

Forget the quote was taken out of context, the Wallabies needed only focus on themselves and their terrible defence.

The Wallabies conceded eight tries against the All Blacks during their second straight Test at Eden Park to lose their grip on the Bledisloe Cup for a 19th straight year. The 57 points the All Blacks scored was the most they had ever recorded against the Wallabies.

In stark contrast, the Springboks have conceded just 12 tries since the start of 2019 on their way to winning their third World Cup and a British and Irish Lions series.

So when McDermott took aim at his side’s dodgy defence, an aspect of the game which has become shockingly glossed over in the era of trying to entertain, he hit the nail on the head.

“We’ve got to hold the ball, we’ve got to respect the ball and then on the flip side it’s about our defence,” McDermott said.

“It was nowhere near good enough, especially in that second Test, when we conceded 57 points.

“To call ourselves a tier-one nation and do that is really quite embarrassing.

“That’s one area that we’ve really got to lift. Scramble defence, but also our set-piece defence as well.”

While Dave Rennie is the one under pressure, a valve that perhaps burst open for a split-second when he said he was “bloody angry” New Zealand Rugby had pulled the pin on the initial date of Bledisloe III, Matt Taylor is the man tasked with fixing their defence.

Taylor is one of the most astute and hard-working defence coaches in the world.

Those who have played under him talk of him being able to empower the defender such is his detail.

But no-one can defend when players throw intercept passes and unnecessary step out of the defensive line and attack the ball at the ruck thereby leaving space around the edge of the ruck.

On Wednesday, the Wallabies had their traditional “Test match Tuesday” training session and defence was unsurprisingly on the agenda.

McDermott spoke of the Wallabies not needing any extra motivation to perform off the back of their second-half capitulation in Auckland last month.

“I don’t actually think we need that extra motivation,” the 22-year-old said. “The extended two weeks that we spent over here was brilliant because we were able to connect with the community over here.

“If there’s no edge leading into a game against New Zealand then we’re kidding ourselves.

“I think from that point of view, we always have an edge. Whether there will be a little bit more motivation, I’m not sure.

“The boys are definitely up for it if today’s training session is anything to go off.”

Nor were the Wallabies giving the All Blacks any extra motivation either, with McDermott quite rightly batting away suggestions their opponents were weaker following the withdrawals of captain Sam Whitelock and halves Aaron Smith and Richie Mo’unga.

“You know very well who they are going to replace them with and it’s just as much experience, if not exactly the same,” McDermott said.

“Guys like TJ Perenara, Beauden Barrett, if we’re taking them lightly we’re kidding ourselves.

“Yes, they did leave behind three of their key players but they’ve replaced them with three world class players. Whoever wears that black jersey, they always do a job so we’ve got to be on them.”