Deans: Tiredness won't be a factor

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans won't buy into the debate that three successive weeks of Test rugby will have his players tired when they meet the All Blacks in the Tri Nations/Bledisloe Cup match at Eden Park.

As a Test match, the Auckland contest stood alone and comparing the Australian situation with that South Africa faced in its loss in Perth didn't get any grip with Deans.

He said he wasn't worried about what happened to the Springboks.

His team was ready for a big challenge, a daunting task that was obvious from the fact that Australia hadn't won in Auckland since 1986.

"That's an indicator of what it takes to win here and these guys love that sort of challenge," he said.

"They are standing at the foot of the hill and they are ready to climb it."

Saturday would be a long day waiting for the chance, he said.

Returning centre and captain Stirling Mortlock said the side was excited about stepping up to the challenge.

Both teams would be going out with a mindset and the mood in the Australian camp was that the side was ready to go.

While disappointed to miss last week's game he was buoyed by the way the team played and was hopeful it could take another step forward.

Mortlock said he was aware of the great game Ryan Cross had last week and the pressure was on to make a contribution.

The job ahead of the side was no different to all the teams in the past because every time they came across to New Zealand it was to try and win.

"If we play well and do the job, we will get the result," he said.

It might by 22 years since Australia last won in Auckland but records of that kind get broken eventually, he added.

Wing Lote Tuqiri wasn't being drawn into the fact that he would be up against a rookie in Richard Kahui. All he was worried about was finding space and doing his job for the side.

He said the side was good and positive about the prospects ahead and while they were expecting something different from the All Blacks, the Wallabies would also have something different in their game.

The last word was with Deans.

"It will be intense, and there will be drama," he said.