Karmichael Hunt is hopeful the Wallabies will be better prepared this time around to prevent a rampaging All Blacks team coming over the top of them like they did in Dunedin during their last outing.
A 76th-minute try to Kurtley Beale at Forsyth Barr Stadium put the Wallabies in the box seat to knock off the All Blacks for the first time in 16 years on New Zealand soil.
However, a try two minutes later from Beauden Barrett sealed a 35-29 victory for the All Blacks in a match that will serve as a painful memory for the Australians.
Hunt wasn't there in August due to an ankle injury but is optimistic the group can repel a late All Blacks attack if they happen to be leading in the dying stages of Saturday's match at Suncorp Stadium.
"As a player you would definitely hope they would learn from that last couple of minutes in New Zealand," Hunt said. "If that does come to the point where we are ahead with 10 minutes to go, or five minutes to go, I definitely hope the boys understand what is required against the All Blacks. They can snatch it right at the death. We hope we've learnt.
"The All Blacks seem to find spots of weaknesses all throughout the field. You have to be on your guard right across the field."
The sense of occasion will be big for the Wallabies and particularly so for Hunt who is looking increasingly likely to earn a spot on the bench in what would be his first match against New Zealand.
In his rugby league days, Hunt featured for the Kangaroos against New Zealand a total of six times from 2006 to 2008, with the last game being a loss in a World Cup final.
Coach Michael Cheika names his team on Thursday and Hunt said there was little point trying to guess whether he would get another shot in a gold jersey.
"The one thing I've learnt about Cheik is not to count your chickens too early, who knows where he'll play me or if he'll play me," Hunt said. "I was pretty sore yesterday [after an NRC game]. As a 30-year-old I don't bounce back as quick like Samu [Kerevi] who was running around top speed yesterday [Monday]."
Hunt revealed he almost reinjured his ankle on Sunday during an NRC match for Brisbane City.
"The ankle got twisted under me, similar to what happened in New Zealand in the last round when I tore my [syndesmosis]," Hunt said. "To be able to pull up quite fine soon afterwards was definitely a pleasing moment for me. I was a little bit scared."
Meanwhile, scrum coach Mario Ledesma has hinted Stephen Moore will get a chance to play his final Test in Australia in front of a home crowd in Brisbane before retiring at the end of the year.
"We haven't given the team out but it's his last game here in Australia against the All Blacks," Ledesma said. "I cannot imagine a better [way to] finish in Australia and he really deserves it.
"He's been serving the country and the gold jersey for a long, long, time now and to be 34 after 124 Tests and being still an important part of a Wallabies [team], is a huge, huge achievement. We will do everything to give him a good farewell."
