Wallabies building towards World Cup despite All Blacks loss

What was 20 minutes of impressive play a week ago was 40 minutes on Saturday.

If the Wallabies continue on this trajectory, there will be 60 solid minutes against France in their final World Cup tuneup.

And then, finally once the event kicks off on September 10, Australia will put together a complete performance against Georgia.

Georgia, of course, pale in comparison to New Zealand and France, but the clash marks an important milestone in coach Eddie Jones' first year in charge.

The veteran has long spoken of his desire to execute a "smash and grab" raid on the World Cup, everything prior simply part of the build to the tournament.

So how are the Wallabies actually placed in their quest to lift the Webb Ellis Trophy in Paris?

There were plenty of positive signs in Saturday's 23-20 loss, but still plenty to work on.

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The Wallabies were superb throughout the first half. A 14-0 lead after 7 minutes was more than anything Jones could have dreamed of.

It was by far the best seven minutes of rugby the side has produced all year, the forwards generating quick ball and the backs rolling forward against a retreating defence.

Scrumhalf Tate McDermott had the space to play his natural game while Samu Kerevi and Jordan Petaia were threatening through the midfield.

Perhaps the most pleasing thing for Jones, however, was what happened next. Rather than letting the All Blacks back into the game, Australia pushed for the killer blow.

Disappointingly, however, they were not good enough to land the knockout punch.

McDermott was held up over the tryline after desperate cover-saving defence. There were numerous other opportunities to score that were not converted.

Still, a 17-3 half-time lead should be enough to deliver a victory. The good teams don't give their opponents a sniff in the second half. The Wallabies are currently an average side and New Zealand made them pay.

The match flipped after the break, an early penalty putting the hosts on the attack and it took them just three minutes to strike back.

From there, the All Blacks had all the momentum and threatened to run over the top of their opponents.

To Australia's credit, they stayed in the fight and learnt the lessons from a week ago. Whereas New Zealand struck three times in eight minutes in Melbourne, the Wallabies tightened up and conceded just one more try.

The All Blacks were bolstered by the introduction of a stacked bench, halves Aaron Smith and Richie Mo'unga ensuring the match was played on their terms.

Jones' men could barely get a look in and lost the battle at the breakdown. Sam Whitelock and Ardie Savea forced multiple turnovers and made their opponents pay for one-out running.

Injuries in the pack did not make this task any easier, hooker Dave Porecki leaving the field after failing a head injury assessment in the first half. Substitute Jordan Uelese was a late withdrawal, Matt Faessler playing 66 minutes after receiving a late call-up into the 23.

Pone Fa'amausili also battled a number of knocks throughout the contest and James Slipper was shaken up in the second half. The Wallabies depth at front row is already stretched and they can ill afford any more injuries.

Ultimately, Mo'unga delivered the knockout blow in the 79^th minute, nailing a penalty goal to break Australia's hearts.

Despite the disappointment, the result showed the Wallabies are on the right track for the World Cup.

The challenge now is to convert an outstanding first half into a complete 80 minutes. Only then will this side become a legitimate contender to conquer the world in France.

NEW ZEALAND 23 (Shaun Stevenson, Samipeni Finau tries, Damian McKenzie con, pen, Richie Mo'unga con, 2 pens) bt AUSTRALIA 20 (Marika Koroibete, Tom Hooper tries; Carter Gordon 2 cons, pen, Quade Cooper pen) at Dunedin on Saturday.

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