The head coach refused to deflect responsibility for the inexplicably poor performance to the Wallabies rotation policy that saw Mack Mason thrown to the (Sun)wolves,saying he would make the same call again to rest Test No.10 Bernard Foley.
But other senior players made quick exits from McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night,a venue that has not been kind to Australian rugby teams over the years,with the Wallabies losing to Scotland there in 2012 and a Combined Country side falling to a mid-week British and Irish Lions team in 2013.
The Waratahs enjoyed a trial win over the Highlanders in 2014 but after Friday's performance the strong likelihood of the city hosting another Super Rugby game there next year might not fill Novocastrians with anticipation.
It fell to hooker Damien Fitzpatrick to do the extra explaining after the game,because everyone was still scratching their heads.
"I'm sure our fans are asking the same question. How can you get it so right the one week and so wrong the next week,"Fitzpatrick said when asked about the sharp downturn after his side's triumph over the Crusaders a week earlier."That's the disappointment. After last week we set ourselves the challenge to keep progressing,to take a step up each week,and this week wasn't what we were after.
"There's just some fundamental areas in the game that we need to be better at,so we have two days now to reflect on a lot of things. Each person needs to look at their game,come in Monday,get ready to go to Auckland and get back on the horse."