All Blacks psych themselves for 'killer' Brisbane finale

Bruised, battered, exhausted, sore and defeated - the bad news for the All Blacks is that the hard work is only really beginning.

They have reached the part of the year when they become Phileas Fogg, attempting to go around the world twice in much less than 80 days.

Previous experience has told them that the away leg of the Rugby Championship is not necessarily the toughest part of the year. It's certainly tough - but the challenge of taking on the Boks in South Africa and the intensity of their rivalry tends to mentally enable the All Blacks to be at their best.

It's the next test against the Wallabies that they have found toughest in the last two seasons and that's why they have made the decision to leave Ben Smith at home for that one.

An IRB World Player of the Year nominee in 2013, Smith has hit a quiet patch in recent tests leading to the All Blacks coaching panel concluding he needs a mini break.

The toll of captaining the Highlanders and playing every minute of the Rugby Championship has drained Smith.

Neither Cory Jane nor Charles Piutau have had big international workloads and both will be eager to play in Brisbane. Having seen how the collective energy levels of the team have dropped at this time of the year in the past, the coaches are conscious that fresh faces in Brisbane may not be such a bad thing.

Aaron Cruden will come out of exile and a decision will have to be made on whether to take Daniel Carter or let him find more confidence in the ITM Cup. Both Dominic Bird and Patrick Tuipulotu are ready to play and Brodie Retallick will be available having recovered from his concussion.

The All Blacks will also have to go to Brisbane with a new third halfback, following confirmation Tawera Kerr-Barlow has suffered an horrific leg injury which has seen him rip ligaments and tear his hamstring almost off the bone.

"This is the tough time of the year. If we don't do this [playing Australia] right, then we struggle at the end-of-year tour," said All Blacks coach Steve Hansen.

"Some guys we might even leave at home. We have 31 going. We will leave a couple at home ... at least one [Smith]. He can recharge his batteries because he's a bit flat.

"We will modify our training to have a full tank at the end of the week."

The fact that the Wallabies, having suffered more dramas with Kurtley Beale and defeat to Argentina, appear to be imploding, will not change the equation for the All Blacks.

The last Bledisloe test has been a killer for them. They lost in Hong Kong in 2010, in Brisbane in 2011 and in 2012 they drew. Last year, the Wallabies were coming home at a gallop and got within eight points.

It's the same story as always this year - the Bledisloe Cup is already safely locked away and the All Blacks will head across the Tasman to face an Australian side that has everything to prove and nothing to lose.

Having given so much of themselves at Ellis Park, the All Blacks will have just five days to dump their bags, kiss the wife, say hi to the kids and then be back on the plane to the sweltering heat of Brisbane.

"We prepare well for every test but that [last Bledisloe] has been a test after the Rugby Championship when everything has been tied up," said veteran hooker Keven Mealamu.

"We have to have a good look at that. We need to look at how best to prepare for these guys [Australia] because they will really be hurting coming off a loss.

"We have to make sure we turn up in really good spirit and are ready to go because when I look back to the last few years it has been one of those tests that if we have been slightly off then it has been troublesome for us."