The Wallabies have been quick to support under-fire coach Michael Cheika, despite his latest failure against his All Blacks archrivals.
Cheika has been slammed by Australian rugby scribe Greg Growden after his side's 38-13 capitulation in Saturday's Bledisloe Cup opener in Sydney.
In a piece for ESPN, Growden said Cheika must "pay the price" for sending Australian rugby into a "frightening nose-dive".
"His arrogant, holier-than-thou attitude does not warrant any respect from those sick and tired of a pedestrian outfit, who constantly make fools of themselves in the big games," he wrote.
Hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau acknowledged the comments as hurtful, but was emphatic when quizzed whether Cheika was still the best candidate to lead the Australian side.
"No hesitation, absolutely," said Polata-Nau, from Australia's Waiheke Island base.
"He's a wealth of knowledge - he's quite hard to take at times… but he only wants what's best for the team.
"He's also a great motivator, getting us to be upbeat about every single session.
"He's definitely the best man for the job."
The 83-test veteran added that Cheika's plans were on the mark and that the onus must fall on the players to execute his vision.
"He actually brings a great blueprint for us to work off. If anything, it's more about how we take that blueprint and put it out there on the field.
"Only we can control the plays at hand."
The Wallabies took a slim lead into the break at ANZ Stadium, after an encouraging opening half, before a slew of errors - combined with some All Blacks brilliance - saw them overwhelmed 33-7 over the second stanza.
The key to rectifying that at Eden Park in Saturday's return fixture and producing a full 80-minute performance will be communication, says Polota-Nau.
"That’s been a big focus for us just to keep talking, even though you're absolutely tired.
"There were times where we did go quiet… it's about how we can all do it together.
"Just letting our teammates know that we're there."
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