Robbie Deans has dismissed fears of a dangerous Etihad Stadium surface and stressed the Wallabies would happily play on asphalt to avoid their worst trans-Tasman streak in 63 years.

Desperate to end a painful seven-match drought against the All Blacks, Deans on Tuesday parried away any questions about the venue's much-publicised surface - damned this week by the AFL as the most slippery it has ever been.

While Etihad Stadium was described as a skating rink by the AFL's players union before their rugby counterparts expressed their own worries, Saturday night's Bledisloe Cup encounter will not be moved.

"I have no concern about it, it's a level playing field for both sides," Deans said after promoting inside centre Berrick Barnes and hooker Stephen Moore to his starting team as expected.

"We'd play on asphalt if we have to, it doesn't matter."

All Blacks coach Graham Henry also has no thoughts of a venue switch and felt his players would have less issue with the slippery Etihad grass than AFL combatants who change direction more quickly and more often.

Henry expressed disappointment his team can't train at Etihad on Friday due to the St Kilda-Essendon AFL match that night. He warned the biggest problem would be at scrum-time when both front-rows needed to pack as tight as possible.

After running out of patience over the issue at his team announcement, Deans also denied he harboured concerns about his team's dire record against New Zealand.

Since the former All Blacks fullback took over as Wallabies coach he has a 1-7 return, with the one victory - 34-19 in Sydney in July 2008 - his first Bledisloe Cup Test in charge.

The seven subsequent defeats equal Australia's bad stretches of 1995-1997 and 1967-1974 against their arch-rivals.

The last time the All Blacks beat the Wallabies in eight Tests in a row was from 1936 to 1947 when NZ owned the Bledisloe with nine straight wins.

While Australia's pre-war teams were often outclassed, Deans' men have shown they can more than compete with NZ - remarkably leading at halftime in five of their past six matches before capitulating.

"The past is called the past for that reason, we're excited about what's coming this week," he said.

"They've been superb in the final 40 and particularly the last 20, they've been able to impose their will on us, to cut a long story short."

Although Australia's biggest halftime lead has been just nine points, they've been outscored 121-43 in the last seven second halves.

Deans said the secret to correcting their meltdowns was "mastering those little things" and felt his troops were on track following their 30-13 triumph over South Africa.

Barnes' promotion for the suspended Quade Cooper, whose appeal of a two-match ban will be held via phone hook-up on Wednesday morning, has seen Matt Giteau switch from inside centre to five-eighth.

The pair, who first played together at the 2007 World Cup, will mix and match in both positions as they did in last year's Tri-Nations.

Uncapped Queensland Anthony Faingaa was selected on the bench alongside his twin Saia who has made way for Moore's return.

If the Faingaas take to Etihad Stadium they will become the third set of twins to have appeared for Australia.

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