Wallabies scrumhalf Will Genia says his teammates must toughen up mentally after admitting lapses of concentration cost them dearly against the All Blacks.
Australia have lost six of their past seven games, and ceded the Bledisloe Cup after a 40-12 hammering in Auckland at the weekend and a 38-13 thrashing in Sydney the week before.
They are working to regroup ahead of a Rugby Championship clash with South Africa in Brisbane on Saturday, with the Springboks also on the back foot after being hammered 32-19 by Argentina in Mendoza.
In both games against the All Blacks, the Wallabies held their own in the first half but were blown away in the second period as they lost focus.
And veteran Genia says: “We defended well off turnover ball in both first halves but then they just took us to pieces in the second half of both games
“It’s just moments of lapses... in concentration that lets us down. In the heat of the battle, not listening to that voice in your head which tells you to give up or not chase – it’s just things like that.
“If we were just half a step earlier, we’d go a long way to solving a lot of those problems in the turnover.”
Meanwhile, monstrous Oz prop Taniela Tupou is ready to return to action against the Boks after a hamstring problem.
The 135kg tighthead prop says: “I was close to playing [at Eden Park]. But they were saying it was still bad enough to make it worse. If Cheik [coach Michael Cheika] wants me to start, I will take that.”