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.

Mark Ella was a useful five-eighth, which is a bit like suggesting Bradman could hold a bat.

What chance of another Dipak Patel moment or, for those with longer memories, a John Beck chapter in tonight's start to the Bledisloe Cup series.

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.

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

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.

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.

QC is back, not the Queens Counsel or anything else the tiresome Crusader crowds would call Quade Cooper.

Did Deans get it wrong in rugby terms, or was there more to it than mere footballing matters?

While his Wallaby side went through their usual parabolic form graph, Deans ploughed on. He had a job to do, writes Wynne Gray.

A return to New Zealand just doesn't feel like it would be the right for Robbie Deans or the right thing for New Zealand rugby, writes Gregor Paul.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has stood down from the role effective immediately, the Australian Rugby Union has announced.

Coaching change is coming for the Wallabies - maybe even as early as this week - as it's believed the Australian Rugby Union have already interviewed Jake White and Ewen McKenzie about taking over from Robbie Deans.

Sorry, but the tale of the drunken ducks is far more credible than the contention that Horwill did not stomp on Jones, writes Paul Lewis.

The Lions thrashed the Wallabies 41-16 in a thrilling international test decider in Sydney last night.