Wallabies: We can improve our defence

All Blacks loose forward Liam Squire evades the Wallabies defence. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The Wallabies' determination to meet the challenge of improving their leaky defence which let in eight All Black tries in Sydney has been reflected in their media strategy on their first full day in New Zealand.

Defence coach Nathan Grey was put in front of the press before the team trained in Christchurch - they will travel to Dunedin on Thursday for Saturday's second Bledisloe Cup test - and former Wallabies midfielder Grey was adamant the side can turn make their tackles stick.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika was forced to defend Grey and his systems in the aftermath of the 54-34 defeat at ANZ Stadium, but questions will remain about the ease with which the All Blacks scored some of their tries - in particular the second scored by centre Ryan Crotty, who ran on to a flat pass from an attacking scrum and breached the defence on the halftime siren which sounded like a death knell for the home side's hopes.

Former Wallabies and Brumbies assistant coach Laurie Fisher, now coaching in England, was one who questioned the defensive set-up under Grey when he tweeted afterwards: "It seems like Wallabies' [defence] is different at every set piece; constant swapping of positions depending upon field position. Can't fathom it."

While Grey said reviewing the test was difficult, he was certain his systems were the right ones.

"It's tough," he said. "As a defensive coach it's difficult but that's the great thing about the game - you get to look at the things you did wrong and how you can improve. You get to lick your wounds, you pull yourself back together and you get stuck in again.

"We're fully taking ownership from that perspective from a coaching group and myself. It's something we have to improve. There were areas of the game where we were able to put them under some defensive pressure and force a couple of turnovers and get a few tries so there are positives from that perspective.

"We turned the ball over a bit and provided a couple of opportunities. There were some set piece stuff there where we let ourselves down defensively; and a few things, one-on-one stuff, that let us down.

"We had a look at that and we really believe the way we're trying to do things is going to be positive for us and when we get that right and everyone executes we can get the results we're looking for."

The Wallabies' second-half response, when they scored four unanswered tries, was a good one, but many of their opportunities came from an All Black team playing without the required discipline.

Scoring at a point a minute until about 10 minutes after halftime had clearly given them a licence to keep attacking but the looseness of the passing and option taking will have been put under the spotlight by the coaches.

The All Blacks will look to tighten up in that area under the roof in Dunedin, a venue they like because the perfect conditions allow them to consistently test the fitness of opposition teams. The question is, can the Wallabies tighten up their defence to stop them?

In what is the All Blacks' first home test since their Lions series failure and the first since the passing of Sir Colin Meads, it's difficult to see Cheika's men making the required improvements in time.