After being under siege in their own half for the best part of the contest, the Reds rallied from the momentum McDermott’s try created – Lachlan Anderson latching onto a short pass from a lineout play to extend the margin – before Richie Asiata sealed the result from a set piece. McDermott was eventually taken off with 15-minutes remaining, adding a linebreak and 46 running metres while beating eight defenders to his try. For much of 2024, McDermott had been used off the bench by Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt, injected to change the tempo and momentum of a contest while veterans Jake Gordon and Nic White were preferred in the No.9 jumper. But the way he has led from the front in the absence of injured co-captain Liam Wright (shoulder) has been instrumental in cementing the Reds in the Super Rugby Pacific’s top four, particularly on the back of consecutive losses to the Chiefs and Brumbies.