Reds star Tate McDermott focused more on winning than head-to-head with Nick White

Queensland Reds co-captain Tate McDermott focused on beating the ACT Brumbies on Saturday night instead of distracting himself from an individual match with Australian halfback rival Nick White. I vowed to continue.

After losing 47-13 to the Hurricanes in the opening game of the Super Rugby Pacific season, the Reds made a spectacular comeback last Sunday with a 71-20 win over the Western Forces.

But the Brumbies, whom McDermott called “the best team in Australia”, are a step up from the Force, and if the visitors win in Canberra, the Reds players can’t afford to think about choosing the Wallabies.

“We have to focus on doing work for Queensland,” said McDermott.

“We let down our condition in the first game of the year and then sort of fixed it. In the back of your mind some boys think of the Wallabies, but for me first and foremost, Maroon ( jersey) and until you do it consistently, we can chat a bit more about the wallaby.

McDermott downplayed his rivalry with White, saying there was “surprisingly good dialogue” between the pair when the two went head-to-head.

“It’s good…and it’s not just me and Nick. There’s guys all over the field and they look pretty good,” he said.

With Eddie Jones recently appointed as Wallabies coach and the Rugby World Cup on the horizon, White said there was “a lot more to play” than just the competitive points on Saturday night. Told.

“We have to play well in this tournament, but we also have the Wallabies jersey available,” said White.

“You’ll see a lot of those matchups[on Saturday night].”

With the injured prop Alan Araratoa absent, White, who serves as the Brumbies’ captain, is wary of both McDermott and the Reds.

“I didn’t read Round 1 very much. Not at the time,” White said.

“Last week we saw what they are and what they are talking about. They are straight back to what we expect from them.

“They are dangerous. They pose a threat all over the park and can rack up some really bloody points.

“Their backline is strewn with talent.

“We have to watch out. We know how good they are. Among the Australian teams, this (the game) is what you circled.”