Australia defense coach Matt Taylor said that head coach Dave Rennie’s clarity and calm demeanor have been key factors in their improvement over the past few years and that the Wallabies are now more adaptable to changing situations on the pitch.
Rennie, who replaced Michael Cheika after the 2019 Rugby World Cup, led the Wallabies to their first win against England in nine games in Perth on Saturday, despite playing much of the game with 14 men following Darcy Swain’s red card.
The even-tempered Rennie gave the team the stability they needed, Taylor said.
“He’s very measured, he doesn’t get too high, he doesn’t get too low,” he added.
“He takes things as they come, so I certainly think the osmosis that he’s very quiet is probably encouraged by the group.
“He’s also very good at clarity within the team. The fruit of that over the last couple of years may have come out at the weekend where we’ve been able to adapt and adapt and move on without too much panic.”
Australia won the first Test 30-28, with England only bringing a touch of seriousness to the goal-line with late tries from Henry Arundell and Jack van Poortvliet.
“I think those two tries show that England have really good players and if you’re not 100 per cent zoned into your systems or not executing your tackle you can get out of a tight spot,” said Taylor.
“It was really disappointing that we conceded those tries but it just goes to show that a test match is maybe 82, 83 minutes.
“It’s a really good memory for us without the loss.”
The second of three Tests will take place at Lang Park in Brisbane on Saturday, where Australia have won their last 10 games.