Wallabies coach Michael Cheika says he will do everything in his power to make sure Sean McMahon returns to Australian rugby as quickly as possible after a barnstorming display in the second Bledisloe Cup Test.

A relentless McMahon was one of Australia’s best in the 35-29 defeat to New Zealand in Dunedin, leading the team with 13 carries, making 11 tackles and providing a constant source of energy.

It was a typically dynamic display from the 23-year-old and it nearly powered the Wallabies to what would have been one of their greatest wins of the modern era.

But he will not be at Cheika’s disposal much longer.

McMahon has signed a deal with a Japanese club and will be ineligible to play at the 2019 World Cup under Australia’s current selection guidelines.

That is, unless, something changes.

In news that may infuriate McMahon’s future employers, Cheika said he will do whatever he can to bring him back sooner.

“That’s why I’ll be aiming all guns towards Japan to try and get his contract torn up over there or something like that – I don’t care what it takes to make him stay here because we want him. We need him,” Cheika said.

Pressed further on whether he was serious about getting McMahon out of his contract, he said: “No, I just made it up now.”

“I don’t know. Maybe sometimes it’s nice to say publicly how badly we want a player to stay here, because we love him and we want him to keep playing like that in the gold jersey.

“There’s a word for Sean McMahon tonight and that was outstanding. He was like truly outstanding. He just gave it everything.”