Wallabies coach Graham Henry wants to use New Zealand's rare Tri-Nations' loss to Australia as motivation for the All Blacks to go on and win the World Cup later this year.
Wallabies coach Graham Henry wants to use New Zealand's rare Tri-Nations' loss to Australia as motivation for the All Blacks to go on and win the World Cup later this year.
The All Blacks, dominant in the opening half and leading 15-6, paid for not putting the resilient Wallabies away and failed to register a point in the last 54 minutes to go down 20-15 on Saturday.
It was New Zealand's first Test defeat since losing to South Africa 21-20 in Rustenburg last September and their first loss to the Australians in six Tests, stretching back to August 2004.
Skipper Richie McCaw spoke of letting the Wallabies off the hook with No.8 Rodney So'oialo and inside-centre Aaron Mauger both fumbling try-scoring chances which if converted would have probably put the All Blacks out of reach.
Henry has the task of tempering home expectations of winning a second World Cup in France in October, such has been the All Blacks' glorious run of form - they haven't lost a home Test, a sequence of 24 consecutive wins, for four years.
The All Blacks have lost only five of their 41 Tests since the 2003 World Cup, when they were sensationally knocked out in the semifinals by unfancied Australia.
Saturday's loss recalled memories of that painful 22-10 loss to the Wallabies and again it was Stirling Mortlock who plunged the dagger into the All Blacks with his linebreak that set up replacement Scott Staniforth's winning try eight minutes from time.
"Hopefully, we'll learn a lot from this fixture and it's better to lose now than in October at the World Cup," Henry said yesterday. "Hopefully, it will be a big learning experience for us all. This side hasn't lost often and I think you learn a lot from losing and hopefully we do learn from that."
Henry praised the Wallabies for fighting their way back after a ragged first half to keep the All Blacks scoreless for the entire second half.
"They finished stronger than we did, the Australians played particularly well in the last 20 minutes and deserved their win," he said.
"We've been saying all along that the Australians are a pretty good rugby side, but they deserved to win," said Henry. - Sapa
All Blacks coach wants to win World Cup
Wallabies coach Graham Henry wants to use New Zealand's rare Tri-Nations' loss to Australia as motivation for the All Blacks to go on and win the World Cup later this year.
Wallabies coach Graham Henry wants to use New Zealand's rare Tri-Nations' loss to Australia as motivation for the All Blacks to go on and win the World Cup later this year.
The All Blacks, dominant in the opening half and leading 15-6, paid for not putting the resilient Wallabies away and failed to register a point in the last 54 minutes to go down 20-15 on Saturday.
It was New Zealand's first Test defeat since losing to South Africa 21-20 in Rustenburg last September and their first loss to the Australians in six Tests, stretching back to August 2004.
Skipper Richie McCaw spoke of letting the Wallabies off the hook with No.8 Rodney So'oialo and inside-centre Aaron Mauger both fumbling try-scoring chances which if converted would have probably put the All Blacks out of reach.
Henry has the task of tempering home expectations of winning a second World Cup in France in October, such has been the All Blacks' glorious run of form - they haven't lost a home Test, a sequence of 24 consecutive wins, for four years.
The All Blacks have lost only five of their 41 Tests since the 2003 World Cup, when they were sensationally knocked out in the semifinals by unfancied Australia.
Saturday's loss recalled memories of that painful 22-10 loss to the Wallabies and again it was Stirling Mortlock who plunged the dagger into the All Blacks with his linebreak that set up replacement Scott Staniforth's winning try eight minutes from time.
"Hopefully, we'll learn a lot from this fixture and it's better to lose now than in October at the World Cup," Henry said yesterday. "Hopefully, it will be a big learning experience for us all. This side hasn't lost often and I think you learn a lot from losing and hopefully we do learn from that."
Henry praised the Wallabies for fighting their way back after a ragged first half to keep the All Blacks scoreless for the entire second half.
"They finished stronger than we did, the Australians played particularly well in the last 20 minutes and deserved their win," he said.
"We've been saying all along that the Australians are a pretty good rugby side, but they deserved to win," said Henry. - Sapa
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