The Wallabies have vowed to smarten up as they try to avoid more humiliation at the hands of the All Blacks in Saturday's Bledisloe Cup return bout in Christchurch.

As if being without almost half their first-choice line-up due to injury or suspension wasn't challenging enough, the Wallabies proved their own worst enemies in last Saturday's 49-28 shellacking in Melbourne.

General-play kicks sailed out on the full, another failed to even reach touch from a penalty, referee's orders fell on deaf ears and, to top off the shambolic display, winger Drew Mitchell became the first Australian player in 23 years to be sent off in a Test match.

"It was stupid on my behalf," Mitchell said of his second yellow-card offence, a brain-snap decision to illegally intervene when All Blacks centre Conrad Smith contemplated a quick lineout throw-in.

"We contributed to our own demise," frustrated coach Robbie Deans noted again as he considered making personnel changes on Wednesday.

"I'm not going to talk up last week's performance because, from an outcome perspective, it was ugly."

The All Blacks punished the Wallabies for their every sin, running in seven tries to stand on the brink of retaining the Bledisloe Cup for an eighth straight year as well as securing the Tri-Nations trophy, this weekend.

Utility back Adam Ashley-Cooper, who will be shifted from fullback to outside centre when Deans names his team on Thursday, said the Wallabies must smarten up their act to have any hope of avoiding a record ninth consecutive loss to their trans-Tasman neighbours.

"In stages we lacked discipline," Ashley-Cooper said. "And obviously we cannot allow any of that to creep into our game.

"The referees have shown that they've tightened up their game and we can't allow the ref to control too much."

Stunningly, given Australia's long losing run against New Zealand, Ashley-Cooper conceded the Wallabies paid the price for under-estimating the potency of the All Blacks.

"I'm not sure if it was flatness or more concentration and some times a bit of complacency," he said.

"But you can't afford to lapse against the All Blacks. You've just got to be switched on for the whole 80. If you just switch off for one moment, give the All Blacks that one inch, they're a good enough side to take it."

Deans, preparing the Wallabies for a Test in his home town for the first time, is expecting no let-up from their relentless rivals.

"I would suggest they would be very keen to further humiliate," he said.

"Dan Carter talked through the week about keeping the foot on the throat."

There is hope for the Wallabies, though.

"I mean, no-one's played the All Blacks yet with 15 men so we're looking forward to it. Hopefully it will be this weekend," said Deans, mindful that the Springboks also had a player sent off in each of their two Tri-Nations losses to the world's top-ranked team.

All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith on Wednesday indicated there'd be no chance of complacency from the hosts, claiming the Wallabies remained one of the most intelligent teams in the world and well capable of reversing their fortunes quickly.

"Pressure can make you numb and dumb at times if it's smothering and we've all seen great teams, smart teams, succumb to that at times," Smith said.

"But it doesn't last. It's a learning experience. I think they're a smart team. They've got smart management, smart players, probably academic players a lot of them.

"So that (intelligence) still exists."

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