Wallabies

Coleman's late withdrawal has paved the way for 21-year-old Izack Rodda to make an unexpected test debut off the bench against the world's No 1 ranked side. 

On Thursday, Cheika named Coleman and Rob Simmons as Australia's starting second-rowers but Wallabies officials say Coleman aggravated an existing shoulder injury at the team's last session in Christchurch that day. 

Simmons, played 13 matches for the Reds this year, one of those at blindside flanker after being released by Queensland as coach Nick Stiles looked to the future.

He and fellow World Cup lock Kane Douglas were both out of favour at the Reds, with Simmons left out of the 23 as early as March when the side played the Jaguares.

Simmons played in 11 of the Wallabies' 15 Tests last year, starting in three of the Spring Tour Tests after an injury to Adam Coleman.

Defence was an obvious issue for Australia, but in the set piece they matched the All Blacks, with the scrum in particular causing some annoyances for the visitors, with Owen Franks in repeated conversations with Wayne Barnes over weight-bearing.

Scrum coach Mario Ledesma said there was no big secret to the Wallabies’ competitiveness in the scrum, but they couldn’t rely on one competitive performance to get them through.

Grey is again under fierce scrutiny from angry Australian rugby supporters following Saturday's horrific 54-34 defeat, which has put New Zealand on track for a 15th straight year of Bledisloe Cup domination.

Australia missed an incredible 48 tackles and conceded more points than they ever have against the All Blacks, who cut through Grey's defensive structure at will to lead 54-6 shortly after halftime.

Grey admitted it wasn't good enough but said he was "very confident" he and the rest of the coaching staff would turn things around.

Michael Cheika's side may have been clear underdogs at Sydney's ANZ Stadium, but few could have anticipated just how dominant their opponents would be in an embarrassingly one-sided opening 50 minutes, before Australia rallied with the match well beyond them.

Playing with a devastating mix of pace and precision, the All Blacks crossed six times before the interval to end the game as a contest - Rieko Ioane and Ryan Crotty each claiming braces as Damian McKenzie justified his selection at full-back with a series of dazzling breaks.

Three of the Wallabies matchday 23 - Ned Hanigan, Sean McMahon and Curtis Rona - have never played against the All Blacks and close to half the team was not a part of last year’s Sydney debacle.

Though Hooper maintained their focus was incredibly narrow heading into the Test, when asked if he let his thoughts wander to the idea of winning the trophy, he was honest.

“This group's come together this year to do something and what's wrong with a dream? What's wrong with a goal that everyone here wants to achieve?," he said.

Kurtley Beale and Samu Kerevi add some X-Factor, while the inclusion of debutant Curtis Rona on the wing with Henry Speight brings more finishing ability, but it’s the other side of the coin that has hurt the Wallabies in the past.

The Wallabies missed 38 tackles in last year’s Bledisloe opener, conceding 42 points in the process.

Since then, defence coach Nathan Grey has become a full-time Wallabies assistant and Cheika was adamant those issues had been sorted out.

“We've been working hard on that area,” he said.

Rona has transformed from a Super Rugby rookie into a Wallabies winger in just seven months, having made his debut for the Force against the Waratahs back in August.

But Dane Haylett-Petty's bicep injury, combined with Rona's sustained, superb form for Dave Wessels' side this season, has made him a firm favourite of Michael Cheika's.

The Wallabies coach has been complimentary of Rona's approach at training and his abrasiveness will be seen as a blunt weapon when the Wallabies square off with the almighty All Blacks on Saturday night.

Kurtley Beale and Israel Folau will be reunited on Saturday night, and it didn’t take much for the fullback to show exactly why Beale’s return is so anticipated by Australia.

One of Australia’s most prolific Test finishers can’t wait to have his Waratahs teammate back,  just for the flow-on of confidence the utility has in a side.

“You grow that extra leg when you know you have him beside you. He brings a lot more confidence to your game and it’s exciting,” Folau said.

“Guys like KB they don’t come around too often.

Polota-Nau is one of six Western Force representatives in a 34-man Wallabies squad who are still coming to terms with the Australian Rugby Union's decision to axe them from Super Rugby. 

Although RugbyWA has launched an appeal in the Supreme Court of NSW, the thought that the Force could cease to exist next year has impacted players privately.