Tate McDermott has embraced his new role as a utility option under Joe Schmidt, adding depth to the Wallabies beyond his usual scrum-half duties.
The Queenslander came on at nine during last weekend’s 28-24 win over Argentina in Townsville, but in recent matches he has also been deployed as an emergency winger, giving Schmidt added flexibility in his bench selections.
This versatility has already proven valuable. McDermott featured out wide against South Africa earlier in the Rugby Championship and was pressed into wing duty during the second Test against the British and Irish Lions after Harry Potter’s injury.
Speaking to reporters, McDermott acknowledged that while Australia has plenty of specialist wingers, he is happy to fill the role when needed. “We’ve got far better wingers than me; I’m just a break-glass option,” he said. “That’s the beauty of this squad — there’s competition across the backline, and Joe has the luxury of going with a 6/2 split because so many players can cover multiple roles.”
He added that the experience has been refreshing: “Under Brad Thorn at the Reds, I sometimes shifted to the wing late in games, but this is the first time I’ve come on purely as a winger at Test level. It’s been different, but I’ve really enjoyed it.”
