On paper, the Waratahs had the spine of a highly competitive team, and they won their first five games at home in Sydney, including major scalps against the Chiefs and the Brumbies.

Away from home, though, the Waratahs repeatedly and inexplicably got intense stage fright, losing every game and conceding an average of 41 points. Their fragility on the road was clear, yet the slump could not be stopped.

Against the Crusaders on Friday, in front of the worst crowd of the season (11,284) at Allianz Stadium, the home comforts that had once provided so much hope were destroyed in a disastrous first half where they conceded 31 points. At the same time, over the road at the SCG, 39,082 fans watched the Sydney Swans beat Carlton.

McKellar has had one season with this playing group and after the game gave notice that things had to change.

“It’s definitely not an ability thing; there’s no way it’s an ability thing,” McKellar said. “I’ve been here a while now, a number of months now, and I think there are some things that are going to take time to change.

“There are some people that are too comfortable, and that needs to change. Because if you’re too comfortable, just happy to be here and wear the tracksuit, that will change.”

Gordon also referenced “systemic issues” at the Waratahs.

“You’ve got to want to do it day in, day out, week in, week out,” McKellar said. “A lot of guys are doing that. There’s a few that aren’t. It’s in daily habits. If we look at the Waratahs as a whole over the last few years, there are things that need to change. It will take time, that’s the reality.”

Against the Crusaders, the Waratahs’ first-half defence was meek and the attack dysfunctional. Suaalii was badly missed, and given the former Rooster has played just seven games of Super Rugby, it gives an idea of the unrealistic load he is already carrying on his young shoulders.

There was an irony in the fact the Waratahs’ worst performance of the season came against Rob Penney, the Crusaders coach who was deemed surplus to requirements by NSW in 2021. Penney, like McKellar, quickly understood the enormity of the challenge at the Waratahs: unrealistic expectations coupled with an inability to turn the squad into a consistent outfit.

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The consequences of the Waratahs’ failure this season go beyond the borders of NSW. In a darkened coaching box at Allianz Stadium, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt looked stunned at what he was witnessing in the first half. Against the British and Irish Lions, in front of sold-out stadiums, each Wallaby selected will be under immense pressure to perform. The Crusaders provided a small flashlight, compared to the beaming spotlight that will shine down on them throughout the Lions series.

In the wreckage of the worst defeat of the season, loosehead prop Angus Bell emerged with significant credit, carrying relentlessly and underlining his case as the Wallabies’ most important player. Langi Gleeson’s two tries also presented an open-and-shut case for his inclusion in the Test squad to face the Lions, despite his impending departure for Montpellier. Taniela Tupou also found some form when it was desperately needed.

There is a slim mathematical chance the Waratahs can still make the finals, but it is largely irrelevant. It is often said that when the Waratahs sneeze, rugby in Australia catches a cold. Now, the symptoms are far more serious: the coach has diagnosed a malaise in his playing group that must be treated immediately.