Where have we seen this movie before?
The Wallabies No.10 jersey once again seems something of a cursed piece of apparel after the knives got re-sharpened following yet another Bledisloe Cup loss.
Quade Cooper apologised to Tane Edmed on social media after he stated "I don't think he should be on a Test match pitch."
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Edmed made his second Test start in the 28-14 loss to the All Blacks in Perth on Saturday.
"Just for the news outlets – it wasn't a brutal swipe at Tane Edmed," Cooper wrote on X.
"I just don't think he should be playing Test match rugby for Australia right now. If he's the best that we have in the most pivotal position in the game in all of Australia, tell me one top-tier country he could replace their top two 10s?
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"As for Tane. I would like to apologise. I've been in that position, I know how tough it is. I don't ever want to be one of those ex-players who just sit on the sidelines throwing shade. I'd rather offer perspective and encouragement than add to the noise."
The 10 jersey is rugby's version of quarterback and Australia is not alone in struggling to work out who best fits the jersey.
New Zealand can't quite decide between Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie while even world champions South Africa are constantly chopping and changing between Handre Pollard, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Manie Libbok.
NEW PODCAST! Nick Phipps joins Sean Maloney and Morgan Turinui for a comprehensive review of Australia's Rugby Championship campaign
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt had the luxury of Johnny Sexton as a no-brainer selection during his wildly successful Ireland tenure.
And Schmidt had settled on Noah Lolesio as his chief playmaker before he suffered a season-ending neck injury in the first Test of the year against Fiji in July.
Since then Schmidt has handed Tom Lynagh four starts, James O'Connor three and Edmed two.
Lynagh was his man against the British and Irish Lions but concussion ruled him out of the tour to South Africa and then a hamstring strain prevented him from taking the field against Argentina in Sydney.
The son of Wallabies legend Michael clearly has the composure, bravery and kicking ability needed for the job but his durability and small frame is a major concern.
Lolesio has signed to play club rugby in Japan and there is uncertainty over when he will be back on the field.
O'Connor is 35 and about to start a new club chapter with the Leicester Tigers.
Carter Gordon remains in the NRL and Schmidt has gone cold on Ben Donaldson.
The Wallabies are taking a breather before reassembling for a date with Eddie Jones' Japan in Tokyo on October 25.
"Tane Edmed's four games in, he started two," ex-Wallabies halfback Nick Phipps told Stan Sport's Between Two Posts.
"A lot of these players, we're not really giving enough time to. Four games isn't enough to really start to write a bloke off.
"I thought Tane actually played quite well. His phase play and his continuity, the way he was working at the back of those pods, he was directing traffic good. Unfortunately he just had two or three big moments, obvious moments. Drop ball, kick out on the full.
"So that's easier for the average punter to look at and go, 'oh he didn't play well.' I thought he was actually quite good and adds a lot more competition to that 10 position. I think the next 12 months for one of those 10s, whoever it is, wherever they are in the world, is so important.
"It's going to be so interesting to watch them over the Super Rugby season, even the Spring Tour coming up. Seeing who sort of rises from those ashes to be the prominent 10, and who we then start to put all our eggs into, all our effort into, to make sure that they've got time in the saddle leading into the World Cup."
Morgan Turinui's 2003-05 Wallabies career came playing outside the outstanding Stephen Larkham at No.10.
Turinui has watched on in despair over the last decade as Australia searches for a consistent answer.
He peeled off the names of discarded 'next big things': Sam Greene, Mack Mason, Jake McIntyre, Jack McGregor, Andrew Deegan.
He could have gone on. Australia has had 12 different starters at No.10 since 2016 while New Zealand has only used six.
"There's a decade of Australian No.10s that have been chewed up and spat out," Turinui said.
"It's hard to expect a Wallabies fan to be patient, and let guys make mistakes at Test level and learn at Test level because you're supposed to be ready for Test level. But that's just where we're at at the moment.
"We need patience with our young 10s because we don't have another choice. We've got O'Connor there as a solution, that's the only mature solution we have, and we've got the sprinkling of young guys.
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"Noah on his way back in the future, but at the moment, patience is the only choice. Noah, he's going to be a ways off. I hope he makes it back to the field and can keep pushing in and amongst those guys.
"You'd love Tom Lynagh to have a couple more years of Super.
"You'd love Tane to have a couple more years of Super. You'd probably like Donaldson to have one or two more years of Super to dominate."
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