Australia skipper Nathan Sharpe hopes his side can ride an emotional wave tomorrow to inflict a first defeat in 17 matches on New Zealand in his final Test on home soil.
Long term, however, he knows the Wallabies must focus more on consistency than one-off performances if they are to reach the levels attained by the All Blacks.
“We like a challenge,” said Sharpe, 34, ahead of the Brisbane Test. “It probably fits the Australian psyche a little bit. When backs are to the wall the guys like to show their character. That’s a strength and a weakness because it doesn’t allow you to be consistent in your performance.
“You can’t rely on the emotional side of things to get you up each week and that’s something we’ve got to get away from in Australian rugby. To be consistent you’ve got to prepare the same way and perform with minimal degrees of difference in your performance.”
