A Season of Challenges and Growth
Tane Edmed has been open about the frustrations he’s faced this season, but he remains determined to hold onto his Wallabies jersey. Moving to Canberra ahead of the Super Rugby Pacific season, Edmed was riding high after being one of Joe Schmidt’s Test fly-halves in 2025. However, the playing minutes he hoped for have not materialized as expected.
Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham has largely kept Wallabies hopeful Declan Meredith in the No.10 jersey, with Edmed making his impact primarily off the bench in most matches. Despite this, Edmed feels he has grown in his ability to make a difference in the final moments of games, even if it hasn’t come without mental challenges.
“It’s definitely been a little bit frustrating around my minutes and opportunities, but I’m just trying to execute my role as well as I can for the team,” he told AAP. “It’s been a little bit of a mixed bag, but it’s always a challenge, and it’s uncomfortable, but that’s where you want to be as a player.”
“This experience has taught me to try to adapt and expand my game in other areas, and it’s made training that much more important for me to try and get better.”
Key Moments and Future Goals
Edmed has had several conversations with Schmidt throughout the season, and he believes that producing a strong performance against the table-topping Hurricanes in the Brumbies’ do-or-die qualifying final on Friday will be crucial for his hopes of securing a Wallabies squad spot as the Test season approaches next month.
“It’s been a pretty roller-coaster few years for myself… Last year, I was in and out of the Waratahs team, and then found myself in the Wallabies, and this year probably hasn’t gone exactly how I wanted to,” he said.
“If I get the opportunity to be in the Wallabies squad again… I feel like I’ll be much more equipped than I was before to handle those situations. In finals, the pressure comes on, so those experiences, and those stints that I have off the bench are going to help.”
The Pressure on Declan Meredith
Fellow fly-half Declan Meredith hasn’t escaped Wallabies selection speculation either, especially after Schmidt praised his control and decision-making in March. The 26-year-old admits the added Wallabies expectation did affect him mentally after a strong start to the Super Rugby season.
This culminated in a poor kicking performance that contributed to a 45-12 thumping by the Hurricanes in Super Round, which he conceded was a “low point.”
However, Meredith feels he has overcome his mid-campaign slump and is ready to help the Brumbies snap a 12-year losing streak against the Hurricanes away in Wellington.
“It definitely plays on your mind sometimes… Not hearing your name ever get brought up in that aspect (previously) is different,” Meredith told AAP. “So, for me, at the start, it threw me off, but the people around me helped me get me through that, and just told me to park it, and I’ve taken that advice on board.”
“The mental side of the game has been the part where I’ve learned the most this year. We’ve had a good run against the Kiwi teams (this season). We get up for those big challenges and you can’t not get up for a finals series against the Hurricanes.”
