Nic White says the Wallabies have learnt to pull the trigger on killer plays without being reckless as they play "catch-up" to coach Dave Rennie's world class standards.
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The Wallabies scrumhalf has heralded the "calm heads" of Quade Cooper and Samu Kerevi for a reversal in the side's fortunes throughout the Rugby Championship.
Australia is chasing four consecutive wins for the first time since 2017 leading into a twilight clash with Argentina at Robina Stadium on Saturday.
It is a mark in stark contrast to where the Australians found themselves during last year's Rugby Championship, and perhaps even as recent as this year's Bledisloe Cup series.
Cooper has seemingly mastered the art of playing within himself and, at 33, has sparked suggestions he could still be the man to lead Australia to the World Cup in 2023. Kerevi has become a devastating focal point in attack, beating more defenders and making more offloads than any other player in the tournament.
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Though not the sole reason for a rise to No. 3 in the world rankings, their influence has been clear to see on a Wallabies line-up which "really didn't have a lot of patience last year".
"Test rugby is about building pressure and we had gone for the killer play and conceded a lot of turnovers. We want guys to pull the trigger and go for the killer play, but it's not doing that recklessly," White said.
"At times we're going to have to play field position, we're going to have to play in the right areas, we're going to have to hold onto the ball and build phases. That's just the respect Test footy has.
"We're getting there, certainly in the last month, we're showing we're a lot more patient within the game plan and trying to build a game."
Rennie's second year in charge has seen the Wallabies secure a series win over France, win back-to-back games against the Springboks and outclass Argentina in their first of two outings.
While the highs have been offset to a degree by a series whitewash at the hands of the All Blacks, White believes they are creating a level of depth and competition for places that can allow fans to dare to dream.
Even the 31-year-old ACT Brumbies scrumhalf is still adding new weapons to his arsenal, saying "I'm not going to sit here and think I'm the finished product either".
Rennie's assistant Scott Wisemantel has been crucial for the development of young scrumhalf Tate McDermott's passing game, while White has been pinching tools from his Queensland counterpart.
"We keep setting the bar as a little group of nines higher and higher, that's good for us. That's what the coaches are trying to do. Shoot for the stars and land on the moon is the situation we're trying to drive at the moment," White said.
"[Rennie and Wisemantel] are world class. Last year as a playing group we almost felt we had let them down.
"The detail within the game is quite high and they drive really high standards of all of us. It's almost a game of catch-up for us as a group, to catch up to the level they want us to play at, and we're certainly getting there.
"Even after three wins, they're driving a pretty hard bargain and they've got some pretty high expectations for us. We're going to continue to evolve, continue to grow and continue to work hard. The benchmark they have for where we want to go as a team is quite high."
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