Deans' Wallabies suffered at the hands of another All Blacks comeback © Getty Images

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Teams: Australia

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans was typically reticent as he contemplated another narrow Bledisloe Cup loss to his former homeland last night

Deans refused to castigate referee Alan Lewis for his policing of the breakdown and a much-improved Australian scrum after the Wallabies failed to withstand a second-half comeback from the All Blacks at Hong Kong Stadium, succumbing 14-19. While Australia's decline was largely self-inflicted, the role of Lewis regularly raised the ire of Australian supporters in the packed stadium -- and there was a definite sense of frustration at Deans' post-match press conference.

The Wallabies copped an 11-5 penalty count, their last three only being awarded late in the final quarter as New Zealand defended on the borderline. Lewis's interpretations were probably more costly for Australia in the first half where three Daniel Carter penalties almost singlehandedly kept the All Blacks in touch.

The fourth Bledisloe Cup installment was played under the latest incarnation of the ELVS (experimental law variations) -- and the return of a full arm penalty at the ruck rather than a free-kick was clearly exploited by the All Blacks as they bounced back from the concession of two Drew Mitchell tries. If Carter was not lining up three-pointers, he or Stephen Donald were booming punts to clear their territory and apply pressure on the Wallabies.

Deans refused to be drawn into the penalty count debate. "It's done and dusted. I'll leave for you blokes to look at that and we will obviously revisit the game on Monday and look at the things that we can control. This is not one of them," he said. "We will adapt. As long as we get consistency we will be fine."

However, openside flanker George Smith was slightly more forthright after his duel with Richie McCaw. "We were hard done by on a couple of occasions but that's rugby and referees have different interpretations at different times.

"We weren't disciplined enough in that area and we will adapt to these new rules in the weeks to come. That's definitely an issue, we're a far better team than that."

While the tackle situation remains a mystery there was no doubt the Australian scrum has solidified this season, though they were often judged at fault when the set piece struggled to gain traction on a slippery surface. Props Benn Robinson and Al Baxter were both penalised for collapsing though Deans would not bite when asked if referees had a preconceived notion about the Wallabies' prowess in that facet.

"You're talking to the wrong bloke, you'll have to ask them (referees). You can draw your own conclusions. I thought we scrummed very well and put them under a lot of pressure. I don't think we were always rewarded for that but that's the way it is. Not too many seem to know what goes on in there."

Despite experiencing a 1-3 series loss after winning the opening test in Sydney by 15 points, Deans believed his side had made steady progress before they embark on a European tour, starting with a test against Italy in Padova on Saturday.

"I believe we've made progress," he said, nominating the maturing of loose forwards Richard Brown, Dean Mumm and then impressive return from injury of halfback Luke Burgess. We've just got to keep going and get to the point where we're so deserving that we get home."

Captain Stirling Mortlock thought the Wallabies had "made up significant ground" on the All Blacks this season, regardless of previous losses in Auckland and Brisbane. "When I look at this group, I see a lot of potential. You can feel this group is growing. You can feel the positivity and guys just wanting to give more. It hasn't translated into results yet, that's the disappointing thing."