More was expected of “embarrassed” Test stalwarts Adam Ashley-Cooper, Benn Robinson and Tatafu Polota-Nau, who are among six Wallabies banned following a late night out in Dublin.
The trio have been among the first players picked for Australia in the past six seasons, but they have been rubbed out of this weekend’s clash with Scotland at Murrayfield for a rare off-field lapse.
All are well respected on and off the field but will take the fall following coach Ewen McKenzie’s hard-line stance in improving team culture and behaviour.
Ironically, the popular Ashley-Cooper, who has played 90 Tests since making his debut in 2005, was understood to be one of the senior players most critical of former coach Robbie Deans for forgiving treatment of wayward stars James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale.
A noted taskmaster, McKenzie was quick to banish O’Connor once he was escorted from Perth Airport by Australian Federal Police in September.
The new Test coach admitted he was disappointed that the senior trio were out beyond midnight in the build up to the Ireland Test.
“I don’t think I’ve lacked clarity. Since I’ve arrived we’ve dealt with situations succinctly,” McKenzie said in Edinburgh.
“I’ve made it quite clear to individuals about what’s acceptable so. In that space, I feel disappointment for sure.
“Within that group there’s some seniority there. You expect the senior players leading the way.”
McKenzie praised the 17 other players for returning to their hotel rooms at St Helen’s, 20 minutes south of Dublin city centre, before midnight on Tuesday.
“It was a bad night and a bunch of bad decisions were made, but on the whole the guys have been doing a good job (with team culture) and we’ve been moving in the right direction,” he said.
“To be fair to the players they’ve been very up front. They’ve all put their hands up and hence we got the volume of players we did.
“They all put their hands up and they were all very honest.
“We’re going to judge ourselves pretty harshly here if we want to get better.
“I want players to understand there are standards being a Wallaby.”
But McKenzie admitted there were “different reactions” from the banned six – also including winger Nick Cummins and reserve forwards Paddy Ryan and Liam Gill – to their punishment.
“The reactions for me were significant because it points to character,” he said.
“Pleasingly I would say on the whole they sucked it up and accepted they did wrong.
“There’s a lot of disappointment in themselves, which I what I wanted to see.
“I didn’t want to see excuses or people making up reasons.”
All trained professionally in a low-key session on Monday at University of Edinburgh fields without any outward signs of frustration.
“It’s a significant embarrassment for them that will miss the game,” McKenzie said.
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