Australia coach Ewen McKenzie says there's no point making excuses for the toughest draw in the Rugby Championship, and the Wallabies must get used to All Blacks.
For the third year running, Australia will play New Zealand back-to-back to kick off the tournament and the Bledisloe Cup in August, and McKenzie says the double-header is here to stay due to logistical reasons.
New Zealand have been crowned undefeated winners two years running in the Rugby Championship, and on both occasions have steamrolled the Wallabies' campaign within a week.
Adding to the challenge is the fact the Wallabies haven't held the Bledisloe Cup since 2002 and haven't won at Eden Park since 1986.
However, after winning four from five on the Spring Tour, and with Tests against France next June, McKenzie says the Wallabies will be in the best shape yet to finally break their hoodoo.
He says it's not daunting but a really good challenge, and each time they played the All Blacks they closed the gap.
