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BRISBANE - For Wallabies rugby fullback Adam Ashley-Cooper, the biggest triumph was escaping coach Robbie Deans' selection axe after the Johannesburg debacle.
Now it's an even sterner challenge, dealing with the form of an imperious Daniel Carter who is certain to provide a torrid night at the office in Saturday's Tri-Nations decider here.
Ashley-Cooper had one of his more forgettable tests in a brief international career as the Wallabies suffered a record 53-8 hiding from the Springboks a fortnight ago.
He admitted most of the team feared for their spots on a long plane trip home.
"I think everyone was pretty worried after that performance in South Africa. I certainly was, I took the loss pretty hard and I wasn't very happy with it," he said.
"All my kick returns were poor and I certainly felt they had an impact on the team's performance.
"It was a great boost (to be selected) and now I'm just really excited about it. The silverware's on the line, playing the Kiwis in front of a full house at Suncorp so it doesn't get any better than this."
An unhappy Deans still made five changes to his starting lineup and jettisoned midfielder Timana Tahu and hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau from his 22 to face the All Blacks.
Ashley-Cooper survived a challenge from Drew Mitchell and was intent on making amends at Suncorp Stadium.
Carter's boot will have a big say, with the All Blacks No 10 dominating proceedings in the previous clash in Auckland to lead the hosts to a 39-10 win.
The role of the back three took on more importance with the new law variations which place more emphasis on field position and kick returns rather than dazzling counter-attack.
"Against Dan Carter you expect to be big part of it, every fullback does. He's got a great kicking game and hopefully he's a little bit off."
Carter meanwhile watched highlights of the Johannesburg match with some intrigue as the All Blacks plot a victory which would see them clinch the title and hold the Bledisloe Cup for a fifth consecutive year.
He maintained the All Blacks' familiar refrain that the South African result would mean nothing, come Saturday, against a side that always lift for the neighbours across the Tasman.
Statistics back that up, with the All Blacks having won just four of the past 13 tests against the Wallabies in Australia in the past decade.
Carter, who played under Deans at the Crusaders, said the coach would have remained calm amid a rare 50-point defeat, and confident they could bounce back.
"He's a great coach and it would have been a new experience for him, but he knows they're a lot better than that.
"He'll be doing all the things possible to rectify that performance. He brings out the best in players and I'm sure he'll do that this week so they're primed and ready to play the biggest game of the season."
But Carter warned the All Blacks were still on the improve, too, as his combination with halfback Jimmy Cowan grows.
Openly critical of his team's error-ridden performance in the 19-34 loss in Sydney, Carter said the team's back-to-back wins in Auckland and Cape Town reflected a confident unit who remain unchanged for a third Tri-Nations test.
"The (experimental law variations) were new to the coaches and they made that clear at the start of the campaign, that they were learning as they went along.
"There are a few new combinations and I think we're finding our feet the more we play and train with each other."
- NZPA
