South Africa beat Australia 28-8 to retain hope of wrestling the Rugby Championship title away from NZ, although the Springboks missed out on a four-try bonus point.

Stepping into the boots of arguably the best halfback in world rugby would be a daunting experience for most rugby players.

Frustrated coach Ewen McKenzie will look to "dumb down" the Wallabies' game after an embarrassing record thumping by South Africa at their former Suncorp Stadium fortress.

Late-blooming Wallabies forward Ben Mowen's amazing ride just gets better.

Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie believes test rugby will see the best of Israel Folau now that his head has been cleared of contractual worries.

Cagey Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie is keeping his selection cards close to his chest.

No one wants to be arrogant or complacent about these things but Australia are not the foe they once were.

The Wallabies are putting the blinkers on about who will wear the vacant All Blacks No 10 jersey, saying they are only focused on improving their own game.

The Wallabies believe a win over the All Blacks in Wellington will buy them time they need to fulfill their potential under new coach Ewen McKenzie.

I am not prepared to change course on my thinking that this is a Wallaby squad of great potential, writes Andrew Slack.

Pictures from the Bledisloe Cup match between the Wallabies and the All Blacks at ANZ Stadium on August 17, 2013 in Sydney, Australia.

When David Kirk casts his inquiring senses across tonight's transtasman duel, he favours the All Blacks and in particular their forwards to make the damaging inroads.

The feel-good factor sweeping through Australian rugby is not without foundation - there's plenty of evidence to show that new international coaches often enjoy instant success.

The Wallabies haven't held the Bledisloe Cup since 2002. They've won only five of the past 27 cup encounters, and at tonight's venue, they've tasted success just twice in seven matches against the All Blacks.

If the Australians needed further metaphorical motivation for tomorrow's opening Bledisloe test against the All Blacks, they could have found it in the lobby of their swanky downtown Sydney Hotel in the form of a glass ceiling and a Vera Wang bridal shop.

First-five Matt Toomua will make his debut for Australia while Quade Cooper was named on the bench for tomorrow's opening Rugby Championship match.

Mercifully free of the Australian affliction of talk-ing more than performing, the All Blacks haven't made any grandiose statements about this year being the one where they want their forwards to become the dominant pack in world rugby.

The Australians may be on a global downer in many sports but have always rated highly for their nickname selections.

If ever a test had lived up to its hype it was this one; a rollercoaster of a thing described variously as the "greatest ever played" and the "match made in heaven".

Controversial star James O'Connor says it's easy for him to buy into the Wallabies culture set by new coach Ewen McKenzie.

A change of coach and the arrival of new faces has filled the Wallabies with optimism ahead of Saturday's Bledisloe Cup clash. But the All Blacks are viewing things a little differently.

Anyone can see Will Genia is the key to the Wallabies' impetus.