Wallabies bench praised for Sydney win

The Wallabies are praising their bench and a new attitude towards their replacement players after the stirring victory in Sydney.

Opening Bledisloe test heroes Nic White and and Matt Toomua - who starred after coming on in the second half - may start ahead of Nick Phipps and Bernard Foley and No. 8 Wycliff Palu and wing Henry Speight will also be considered for Eden Park, the Sydney Telegraph reported.

But whatever the makeup, the paper claimed that Wallabies no longer feel like they have been dropped when they were moved to the bench.

"Forget reserves, replacements or second-stringers; Michael Cheika now calls his bench players 'finishers' and empowered with a sense of purpose, that's exactly what they've done for Australia in all three matches this year," it stated.

Flanker Scott Fardy predicted starters and finishers will continue to swap. Wing Adam Ashley-Cooper said: "Test match footy is won in the 65-75 minute mark and that back end 15 minutes, and it is very important that your bench comes on and finishes the game off.

"They bring a big impact on, a lot of energy and control and experience. Our benches have been doing that over the last three games ... guys coming on like Nic White who had a huge influence on the result of the game. That focus that Cheika has put on the finishers has certainly proven to be a beneficial one for the team."

There is also a lack of stereotypical Australian sporting cockiness after the Sydney victory.

Ashley-Cooper said: "You could say we have one hand on the Cup but I don't think we have one hand on the Cup at all. We have to go to Eden Park, where they are a totally different beast, and win that to claim the Bledisloe Cup. Anyone who has had experience in Test match footy against the All Blacks, over there in New Zealand, knows how tough a challenge it is. We are going to be playing over there on our own, basically alone, representing ourselves, our families and our country."