Wallabies lock Kane Douglas says the side can’t wallow in the disappointment of the first Bledisloe Test for long, with the potential series decider just a week away.
Speaking after Saturday’s 42-8 loss to the All Blacks , Douglas said the Wallabies needed to harness the feeling of the record home loss and use it as a driver for next week’s Wellington Test.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika said the next seven days would be a great test of “mental fortitude” for the side and Douglas said they could overcome it.
“It's (the mood is) pretty down but I think we've got to use that for motivation for next week,” he said.
“We can't be sooking all week with our heads down, we've got to use it as motivation to get stuck into training, watch what we did wrong because we did plenty wrong.
“We've got to look at what we did in defence because we didn't defend very well and they scored a heap of points so we'll have a good hard look at ourselves and come up with a plan for next week.”
The Wallabies were undone in the lineout by New Zealand, who stole four of Australia’s set piece throws, an area over which the Kiwis have taken control in the past.
Douglas, plaiyng his first Test since last year's World Cup final, said some poor decisions cost the Wallabies in the set piece.
“We’ll go back and have a look at that,” he said.
“There were probably just some wrong options but they were very good in defence and were reading us.”
The almost manic edge the Wallabies possessed in their dream 2015 run was all but gone on Saturday and Douglas admitted players didn’t attack the match with enough ferocity in defence, especially.
“Maybe (it was an attitude thing), with our defence, not putting our bodies on the line and things like that so it wasn't the best.
“Probably individually we've got to look at what we do in defence and sort that out for next week.
“We've changed a few things up and then I don't know you just got to get out there and want to do it.”
The Wallabies have relished in underdog status in the past and they’ll well and truly wear that tag this week, but Douglas said he still had the belief they could things around.
“We know we've upset a few people, we've disappointed a few people, we're very disappointed in ourselves and how we've played.
“Hopefully fans don't go away but we need to address a few things and come out for next week and put something better on the field than we did tonight
“We're all good mates and we all bounce off each other and things like that...and I think we'll be able to come back from that.
“I’ve definitely got belief in everyone beside me, we just obviously didn't put it on the park tonight but it’s definitely still there.”
