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Cape Town - Although 2016 was not one of their best years, Wallabies captain Stephen Moore is proud of the his team's efforts during the year.
A six-nine win-loss record from 15 Tests gave Australia its second-lowest winning percentage since 2005 but Moore said his side’s unwavering faith through the year was an indication of the team's character, in a season that has offered up a rollercoaster of emotions.
“I think one thing that’s been evident through the year is that the team’s stuck solid and everyone’s kept working hard and kept trying to improve - that’s players, staff, coaches, everyone,” he told the Australian Rugby Union's official website.
“I’m really proud of the team, the way they’ve done that. It hasn’t always been easy but the team’s stuck really solid and hasn’t fractured under a fair bit of pressure. As a leader I’m very proud of the fact that my teammates have done that, kept working hard and when it doesn’t go your way then sometimes you can easily fracture and fall apart but the team’s stuck really solid. That’s a positive sign to carry forward.”
Moore said the next step for the team, that he felt had progressed from the side whitewashed by England in June and added 13 Test debutants along the way, was ensuring they don’t lose the harsh lessons of this season when they return to their Super Rugby franchises.
“[We] probably played more how we wanted to at the end of the year than we did at the start but in saying that, we wanted to win every game so their results that haven’t gone our way are disappointing,” he added.
“We’re not happy about that so we want to go away and become better and that starts with Super Rugby, going back to our Super Rugby teams, working on the things we need to right from the start of the year and that’s something Cheik’s already emphasised post-game."
