Talented Wallabies must learn how to close the deal, says Herbert

It's all in the mind, says Dan Herbert, on the art of winning, which seems to have deserted his beloved Wallabies against the All Blacks.

'What we lack right now is the mental toughness. I believe the All Blacks have the mental edge over us, they have the belief,' says Herbert, a member of Wallaby team who won the 1999 World Cup.

Herbert, who was in town as a guest speaker at the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union's Long Lunch, points to the 10-game losing streak to New Zealand, as well as the Australian sevens team's performance at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi where they had to settle for the silver medal.

'On the last two occasions an Australian rugby side met a New Zealand team, we were leading before losing in the last minutes. At the Commonwealth Games we were up 22-7 before the Kiwis came back to win the gold medal. The same happened in the last Bledisloe game in Sydney,' Herbert said.

'New Zealand have that belief, that even if they are behind, they can win, whereas our guys are questioning it because they are young and a little bit fearless in some respects. That plays against them. We have some guys who play with reckless abandon and make crucial mistakes at times. I guess it is part of the learning experience.'

That is why Herbert (pictured) is hoping that next Saturday the Wallabies beat the All Blacks by one or two points, and not by a big score. He thinks a big lesson will be learned this way. 'I would be happy if we win by one point for that would mean we know how to close down a game. We have to learn how to do that quickly. Being a young team, they want to be flashy and score every time. But sometimes it is more prudent to be patient,' he adds.

An outstanding centre who made his debut as a 20-year-old against Ireland in 1994, Herbert made his mark alongside Tim Horan at the 1999 World Cup. He won 67 caps and was a member of the Wallaby golden era that included winning five Bledisloe Cups, the British Lions series victory in 2001 and also a Tri-Nations trophy.