Kurtley Beale has urged the Wallabies to channel the pain of Dunedin to erase their heartbreak and restore credibility against the All Blacks this weekend.
No Australian player was more broken than Beale after full-time in the second Bledisloe Cup Test in New Zealand when the Wallabies blew a golden chance to beat the Kiwis on their home turf.
Standing in the players' tunnel at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Beale could barely get his words out, repeatedly looking off into the distance and contemplating how close he and teammates came to breaking a 16-year drought on New Zealand soil.
"That one really hurts, heartbreaking stuff ??? that one really cuts the heart," Beale said in the aftermath of one of the great Bledisloe Cup matches.
Eight weeks on, Beale and the Wallabies have made steady progress and since Dunedin are unbeaten.
The suggestion that Saturday's clash in Brisbane will carry little significance will be met with a scoff from Australian players who have recalled the pain of that night.
Asked whether the team could use intrinsic motivation from the last loss, Beale replied: "Yeah I think so. Some guys might forget about it, some others might still be hurt by it and use it to advantage on the weekend. I think we have a really good balance.
"Even though it did hurt in the end, I think individually in my own game it felt good to be part of a huge game like that. Looking how far we came from the week before gave me a lot of confidence in guys around me. It allowed me to look forward with excitement and enthusiasm to keep building and learning off each other to try to reach that No.1 spot that we want."
Australia's spatial awareness in defence might look better than earlier in the year, but numbers show the team is still leaking as many points.
From 15 Tests last year the Wallabies averaged 27.1 points against them per game. From nine matches this year, the figure is, remarkably, exactly the same, while during the Rugby Championship that number has inflated to 29.8 points per game.
Beale is confident his men are more assured in their defensive roles ahead of a third bout with the All Blacks.
"Defensively it's all about attitude," Beale said. "If guys are ready from the first whistle I think we'll put ourselves in a really good position to aim up in our defence.
"If we are urgent around that from the start I feel like we have got the confidence in our defensive structures to be able to shut them down.
"It's easy to say that but it's a matter of getting out there and doing it. You can't lose focus for a second or they'll come back and pounce on you and take that opportunity and turn it into points."
Beale crunched All Blacks No.12 Sonny Bill Williams on two occasions in Dunedin and since then the 32-year-old former NRL star has been under significant pressure from the New Zealand media regarding his performances.
Beale, however, was quick to praise his opposite number.
"Sonny Bill is no different; another guy who can create something out of nothing," Beale said. "Obviously a world-class player, another danger man.
"It's just going to be a huge challenge - No.1 to No.15 to get on top of your man. We'll be doing everything possible to try to shut those threats down."
Beale will hold onto his No.12 jersey but the question on everyone's lips is whether Michael Cheika will recall Karmichael Hunt, Australia's inside-centre in June, to get a maiden crack at the All Blacks.
Hunt's astute rugby brain, fearless attitude in defence and inventive style of play are three traits Beale believes the Wallabies must use if they are to snap a seven-game losing streak against their trans-Tasman rivals.
"I think [he can bring] creativity and I've always said that in Test match footy you need creativity along with a lot of one-percenters," Beale said. "Obviously this week we're up against New Zealand and their whole team is full of that.
"They have X factor, they have game breakers across the whole park and we are fully aware of that. To have someone of K's calibre ??? he can add that to our team and help us get the right result."
