Peter Hynes' try is something of a collectors' item © Getty Images

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Matches: Australia 19 - 32 New Zealand

Players/Officials: Adam Ashley-Cooper | Berrick Barnes | Robbie Deans | Rocky Elsom | Matt Giteau | Sir Graham Henry | Richie McCaw | James O'Connor | Rodney So'oialo

Tournaments/Tours: Australia tour | New Zealand tour | Bledisloe Cup

Teams: Australia | New Zealand

The Grand Slam will look a very long way away. Robbie Deans has a huge task on his hands to motivate a ragged Australia, who succumbed to the All Blacks in Tokyo with more of a whimper than a roar.

It was their seventh straight loss to New Zealand, who themselves have been struggling to hit the heights this season. Every time the Kiwis have needed to release a pressure valve the Wallabies have obliged. Their 33-6 win in Wellington gave them a rare high during the Tri-Nations and now they go in to next weekend's showdown with Wales with renewed confidence in their lineout and coaching reshuffle.

Dan Carter kicked 22 points, Jimmy Cowan was dependable alongside him and in Cory Jane they have one of the form wide-men in world rugby.

Contrast this with their rivals. Peter Hynes' first-half try was the first that the Wallabies have managed against New Zealand since the opening game of the Tri-Nations. It came in another defeat as their accuracy of the first-half was replaced by a conservative attitude and lack of cohesion.

They face an injury-ravaged England at Twickenham next weekend followed by dates with Ireland, Scotland and Wales. A backs-to-the-wall England is exactly the kind of challenge that migh be beyond them at the moment. On paper, they should be the overwhelming favourites but as has been shown time and again in the past it's difficult to dig yourself out of a hole overnight.

In Rocky Elsom they have a skipper who can drag a side kicking and screaming through a game. He's had only one game in the role and will need to help galvanise his troops this week. The bustling, unforgiving presence that carried Leinster to the Heineken Cup last season has not appeared during this international season. In Tokyo, he lost his opening catch in the lights and never recovered.

Berrick Barnes, his vice-captain, is not travelling after picking up an ankle injury in another blow. This kind of adversity will either spur a side on or see them recede in to their shell. Elsom and Deans must find a way of pulling together these disparate parts in to a cohesive whole. They don't need to play well for a whole season - just four games against opposition that has in recent seasons been below-par.

Rescuing this season by notching their first Grand Slam since 1984 could put a fresh face on Australian rugby for next season, giving Deans extra time and his players the chance to feel good about themselves in a gold jersey.

Matt Giteau must be brought in to line. With Barnes out he has so much resting on his shoulders in terms of guiding the team, and in Tokyo he again flitted in and out of proceedings. With Adam-Ashley Cooper at No.12 he has no back-up creatively; Cooper is a fine runner but not a playmaker.

There needs to be a team ethic - whether it can be instilled with an 'us against them' mentality is yet to be seen. The return of Stirling Mortlock and George Smith should also be considered. Whether they are aggrieved about being passed over for the captaincy or not ,they have a role to play both on and off the field as two of the senior figures in the side.

The fact that they again faded away after the break will be galling. They have conceded half-time leads in three of their losses to New Zealand this year and also led the Springboks before falling away with a rash of yellow cards. In the first-half at the National Stadium they were fierce in defence and swarmed all over the All Blacks at the breakdown.

If it's a question of belief then there needs to be some soul searching by the old guard and some enthusiasm shown for what they're about to attempt. They have plenty of young players who have not experienced the winning habit at this level, and a number of them haven't at Super 14 level, so it's leap of faith time.

Losing at Twickenham should not be an option. If they do, appointments at Croke Park and the Millennium Stadium, where they have lost two and drawn one of their last four visits, will take on an ominous look.