Dan McKellar has cautioned against placing unfair pressure on in-form Declan Meredith amid growing hype that the ACT Brumbies playmaker could be the answer to the Wallabies' troublesome No.10 spot.
Adding extra spice to the Brumbies' Super Rugby Pacific derby on Saturday night, the NSW Waratahs coach says "a couple of good games" shouldn't suddenly make Meredith a Wallabies contender.
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Proving a worthy flyhalf replacement for Noah Lolesio following the ex-Wallaby's move to Japan, Meredith has steered the Brumbies to third on the ladder this season.
McKellar is not surprised, having been key to Meredith joining the ACT outfit in 2023.
"He's a good young man. Declan came down from Cairns and originally was probably a fullback that's developed into playing at 10," he said on Wednesday.
"He's performed well, performed well for them last year.
"I just get nervous for the individual when all of a sudden he's played a couple of good games, we start throwing in Wallaby chat again.
"Like, when are we going to learn that that sort of pressure on young men doesn't help them, and it's been going on for I don't know how many years now."
McKellar said he "could rattle off 10 names like that, of players that have played a couple of good games and know what happened".
"We've got to string a couple of good seasons together and before you develop and we're just trying to find the diamond in the rough.
"So Declan's been good, but I think as a game we need to not apply pressure on him and thinking that he's going to be the next big thing ... Just let him continue to grow as a Super Rugby player to start with."
Increasing interest in Meredith comes after Schmidt used six flyhalves last year: Lolesio, Ben Donaldson, Tom Lynagh, James O'Connor and Tane Edmed.
"I think we we're guilty of looking for quick fixes," McKellar said.
"That's not going to change."
