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Having posted back-to-back victories in their Spring Tour over Italy and Ireland, the atmosphere inside the Australian camp should be one of confidence and optimism.
Yet instead, courtesy of one boozy night in Dublin, the Wallabies come into their fixture against Scotland this weekend under increasing pressure to perform and end what has no doubt been a very poor news cycle for Ewen McKenzie’s men.
By now, the facts and repercussions of that fateful night out (where the team reportedly drank over $2,000 worth of alcohol) are well-known.
Adam Ashley-Cooper, Nick Cummins, Benn Robinson, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Liam Gill and Paddy Ryan have all been handed one-game suspensions due to their consumption of an “inappropriate amount” of alcohol.
Dave Dennis, Kane Douglas, Saia Fainga’a, Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps, Scott Fardy, Mike Harris, Ben McCalman and Nic White were all either handed written warnings or given verbal warnings for their involvement.
Instead of having a camp filled with confidence due to their wins over Ireland and Italy, the Wallabies now face the very real prospect of having to prove themselves once more.
The players in the squad have to prove the team – as a whole – are disciplined and focussed on the job at hand.
Coach Ewen McKenzie has to prove – through the performance of players – his ‘cracking of the whip‘ really was the right call to make.
One thing’s for certain: it’s hardly an ideal preparation for the Wallabies, who have lost their last two matches away to Scotland.
Yet while the preparation is by no means ideal (and certainly not how McKenzie would have envisaged the week taking place), at one level, it is what it is.
Media pundits and commentators alike will no doubt want to talk about the ramifications of that night both at an individual and personnel level right up the opening whistle, but the truth is nothing more can be done about that fateful night.
The subsequent player position switches and the fielding of a very inexperienced back-line aren’t ideal, but they have happened.
The question is now what the response will be from the Wallabies in a game that is, by no means, a certain win.
Much of the discussion surrounding the appointment of McKenzie over someone like Jake White was his experience as a player.
The thinking was that, as someone who had recently been in the dressing room and therefore understood the culture and ethos of the Wallabies, he’d be better equipped to get the best out of his players.
McKenzie – perhaps more than any other available coach – would be able to ‘understand’ and empathise with the team, and still produce positive results in environments that many might have otherwise struggled to do so in.
Given the week that this team’s had, it seems there’s no greater time for McKenzie (who seemingly had no other choice but to be as firm as he was in dishing out punishment) to show exactly what the benefits of having him in charge are.
For the players, there will be few matches that carry with them the same off-field focus as the one they are preparing for on Scotland.
Are their heads in the papers and in the headlines that have been written all week, or are they doing everything they can to be focussed on their sole task?
The week from hell will no doubt shed light on whatever happens when the Wallabies run out to take on the Scottish in Edinburgh.
But what it won’t do is excuse a dip in performance or mental concentration.
The Wallabies know the expectations on them, and they know that games like these – where they could not be further away from home in both mind and body – are their best chance to prove just what fighting spirit they have.
They’ll know the need to create headlines, once again, about their actions on the field rather than their activities off it.
All that remains to be seen is whether they will or not.
Australia’s international match against Scotland will be played at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh,Scotland on November 24, 2013 at 5:00am AEDT.
Live TV coverage will be provided via Fox Sports 2.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.