Wallabies linchpin Matt Giteau has demanded his side be more ruthless in Saturday's Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup opener at Eden Park, after two near misses against the All Blacks last campaign.

Australia won only one of their four clashes with the New Zealanders in 2008, but led before being run down in both Brisbane and Hong Kong, where they lost by just four and five points respectively.

"As a side we've just got to be more ruthless," Giteau told reporters on Thursday.

"I think that's probably where we got caught in a hole last year a few times, where we got to a lead and we tried to defend that lead rather than build on it.

"The All Blacks, when they get to a lead, they continue to put pressure (on) and try and build that lead."

Getting close last year, as well as the loss of All Blacks champion five-eighth Dan Carter to injury and some indifferent lead-up form from the Kiwis, have the Wallabies confident they can end their six years in the Bledisloe Cup wilderness, starting with a first win in Auckland in 23 years.

Centre Berrick Barnes said the fade-outs - especially defensively - were something the team had been working on.

"It comes down to a few things, I think fitness was one of them, we're a fitter team this year I believe," he said.

"But it's come down to communication and things like that and I think we've done as best we can to address that.

"Obviously it only matters when you're out there on the pitch and I think our defence against France was very good but there's a hell of a lot more attacking threats coming at us this weekend."

The one match that wasn't close in 2008 was the Eden Park clash, which the All Blacks won in clinical fashion, 39-10.

Carter pinned Australia to the corners and targeted individuals with pinpoint high balls in the win.

"There were times I don't think we showed a real lot of patience, we were looking for the easy cross-kick to score off that rather than building pressure," Giteau said of that match.

"You need to build and put pressure on the All Blacks for the full 80 minutes. At times (last year) we did it for 60 minutes, 70 minutes but not that full 80 minutes."

But Giteau, rated by many as the world's best No.10 in Carter's absence, is set to pick up where his rival left off on Saturday, having learnt a sizeable lesson about playing five-eighth last August.

"When you lose you learn probably more than in the games when you win so I think a big learning curve for me as a flyhalf was that game, positionally, tactically, kicking and things like that," Giteau said.

Barnes said building pressure with kicks was likely to be vital again with a wet surface a strong possibility.

"I think kicking's going to play a massive part in the game and building pressure ... I think that's where they got on top of us last year, Dan Carter was on fire," he said.

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