'We're building something special.'

That was the overriding message for Australia after they fell at the final hurdle at Twickenham on Saturday, Michael Cheika's side going down 34-17 to New Zealand in an enthralling decider at the home of English rugby.

The Wallabies trailed 16-3 at the break but fought their way back into the match after All Blacks full-back Ben Smith was yellow-carded for a lifting tackle early in the second half. But four points would be as close as they would get as the All Blacks steadied and veteran playmaker Dan Carter knocked over a momentum-turning drop goal.

Speaking after the match, Wallabies prop Sekope Kepu hailed his side's fightback and said the best was yet to come.

"Obviously [we're] devastated but credit to the All Blacks, they played well and took their chances," he said. "We're very disappointed but you know we're building something special and I've just been grateful for the journey and the opportunity."

Kepu will now head to French club Bordeaux-Begles alongside Wallabies team-mate Adam Ashley-Cooper while Will Genia will link up with Stade Francais in Paris.

The Australian Rugby Union's change in protocol for overseas eligibility means all three men remain eligible for the Wallabies, and the team may prove tough to resist judging by the positive vibes that have emanated from the Wallabies' camp under Michael Cheika's reign.

It was certainly evident in their fightback on Saturday night.

"Yeah definitely, never in doubt," Kepu said of the Australian fightback. "I always believed, regardless of who was out there, that we'd just keep pushin. Credit to New Zealand, they defended and like I said, they took their opportunities. Sometimes that bounce of that ball is just crucial."

While the Wallabies managed to work their way back into the contest, they had been outplayed in the first half. Cheika's side managed only 29% of possession and 21% of territory in the opening stanza as the All Blacks rolled up field with ease -- Nehe Milner-Skudder's try just before the break icing a dominant first 40 from New Zealand.

"They defended our lineouts very well and we just couldn't get our attack set out, [we] couldn't give our backs any ball," Kepu said of the first half. "That was the frustrating thing. They built the pressure and just kept knocking over the three points. A little bit of ill-discipline from us gave them the head-start. We came back and we fought, and credit to the boys -- we left everything out there. At the end of the day, New Zealand did well."