Deans: Beaten Boks, now for All Blacks

Coach Robbie Deans believes his triumphant Wallabies are better placed to break through for a win in New Zealand than at any time during his three years in charge. Australia dominated an injury-ravaged South Africa 39-20 in their opening Tri-Nations encounter in Sydney on Saturday and now are setting their sights on their long-time protagonists. The Wallabies have lost their past 11 internationals in New Zealand and next take on the All Blacks on August 6 at Auckland's Eden Park where they haven't won in a quarter of a century. New Zealander Deans is preparing his squad in a 10-day training camp on Queensland's Gold Coast designed to have the Wallabies primed to meet the world's top-ranked side in two weeks. "It's great for us now. We get a week to regroup and really home in and focus on that game," Deans told reporters on Sunday. "It's a key game for us now. We haven't had a lot of success at Eden Park, but we've got a great opportunity to really target that game and make the most of it." Victory will have double the impact as a long-awaited win in Auckland will come less than six weeks before the World Cup kicks off in New Zealand and give the Wallabies a psychological edge over their fierce Bledisloe Cup rivals. After finally snapping a 10-Test losing streak against the All Blacks in Hong Kong last November, Deans believes his side is far better placed to prevail in New Zealand than during his previous three years at the helm. "But within that belief there's just no point in presuming that you're going to be any further ahead in that game itself," he said. Goalkicking winger James O'Connor, still only 21 but already with 28 Test caps, wasn't even born the last time Australia won in Auckland in 1986 and said Eden Park held no fears for the revamped Wallabies. "It's going to be an awesome: Eden Park, where the World Cup's going to be played, so looking forward to it," O'Connor said. "I've only played there once. We were on the losing end that time, but it's a whole new year. "The All Blacks are still setting the benchmarks in Test rugby, so it's going to be a special game." Kurtley Beale could miss the match after twisting an ankle, taking four stitches in a head wound and a sore left shoulder all suffered in Saturday's bruising battle with the Springboks. "Kurtley's a bit banged up. He probably came out of the game in the poorest shape of the group," Deans said. "I don't think the ankle's too bad. So that should recover. His shoulder should also recover, but he's just sore right now." Deans also said he was unlikely to have any of his other 10 injured or recovering World Cup hopefuls available. Reserve scrum-half Luke Burgess and prop Salesi Ma'afu are outside possibilities to make a return, but are more likely to be available for Australia's return clash with South Africa in Durban on August 13. Deans said he was hopeful that forwards Wycliff Palu, Tatafu Polota-Nau and James Slipper would come under consideration for the final Tri Nations Test against New Zealand in Brisbane on August 27 and that winger Drew Mitchell would also be back running from an ankle injury when the Wallabies returned from South Africa. Midfielder Berrick Barnes made a successful comeback in Sydney club rugby this weekend after a series of head knocks.