Bledisloe Cup: New Zealand v Australia, Wellington
Wallabies not scarred by All Blacks: Horwill
August 23, 2013
Australia last defeated the All Blacks in New Zealand on August 11, 2001 © Getty Images
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Greg Growden and Russell Barwick preview Bledisloe II
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The Wallabies' lack of recent success in New Zeland has not left psychological scars on the visitors, James Horwill said in Wellington on Friday ahead of the second Bledisloe Cup Test in The Rugby Championship.

Australia have not defeated the All Blacks in New Zealand since their victory at Carisbrook in Dunedin in 2001, since when they have lost 14 consecutive Tests in the Shaky Isles - including two in Wellington.

"I don't like losing, no-one likes losing, and we've got to do everything we can to turn that around," Horwill said of the Wallabies' record in New Zealand, noting that teams had to be able to win away from home, no matter where it was. Horwill said he had won twice in New Zealand with Queensland Reds this year, beating the Super Rugby champion Chiefs in Hamilton and the Highlanders in Dunedin, and a ground was a rugby ground no matter where it was located.

"You've got seven days to turn it around," he said of the Wallabies' preparation for Wellington since their 47-29 defeat in the Rugby Championship-opening Test at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. "A lot can happen in seven days, and that's what we need to do."

Horwill felt the Wallabies had done well in the lineout in the first Test, and that had reflected two weeks' worth of attention in the lead-up.

"We spent a lot of time analysing and doing stuff that we thought would work, and we need to make sure that we keep going on there and we don't rest on our laurels. To that end we are doing a lot more work this week again on our lineout. I think we've got some really good jumpers in the team and being able to have four genuine jumpers is a big positive for us."

Horwill said the Wallabies had to balance with pragmatism their desire to play running rugby, but they wanted players to back themselves if they felt something was on.

Will Genia, meanwhile, accepted that the Wallabies had played too much rugby in Sydney, and had thus played into the All Blacks' hands. "They enjoy kicking into our half and putting us under pressure and forcing us into mistakes so we've just got to make sure we're smarter with how we use the ball in our half and in our quarter," Genia said. "Make sure we exit efficiently and effectively and don't give them the opportunity to come away with points or strangle us in our quarter."

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