Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup: Australia 13, New Zealand 30 The Wallabies coach Eddie Jones said he would happily step aside if the Australian Rugby Union wanted him to quit in the wake of this Tri-Nations loss to New Zealand on Saturday.

Jones has been heavily criticised by former players and the Australian media after the Wallabies crashed to their third straight loss in a month.

Jones said he was unconcerned by the criticism and wanted to stay in the job but would be prepared to stand down if asked to.

"Obviously there is a fair bit of contention around about that, whether that is right or wrong it doesn't concern me one iota," he said.

"All I am concerned about is coaching the side as well as I can for the next game, and the next game after that.

"If people want to make decisions that I am not the right person then I'll happily step aside, but I am just going to keep doing the job."

Wallabies captain George Gregan is also under the microscope. He has been struggling to reproduce his best after breaking his leg earlier in the season and suffered the embarrassment of being dragged off by Jones in the final 15 minutes.

Australia's three-tries-to-one loss not only handed the Bledisloe Cup to New Zealand but almost certainly ended the Wallabies' faint hopes of winning the Tri-Nations.

It also marked just the second time since rugby turned professional a decade ago that Australia lost three Tests in a row and the immediate prospects of a recovery do not look good.

The Wallabies host in-form South Africa in Perth next Saturday before travelling to Auckland next month to face the All Blacks as injuries mount up.

Stephen Larkham, Chris Latham, Mat Rogers and Wendell Sailor all missed Saturday's match and another five players joined the casualty list.

"You've got to play the cards you get dealt out there and they were the cards we were dealt and we weren't good enough in the circumstances," Jones said.

Matt Giteau opened the scoring for Australia with a penalty in the second minute when Chris Jack was caught for not releasing the ball then kicked a second goal five minutes later when Rodney So'oialo was penalised for not staying on his feet.

The All Blacks were unlucky not to have been awarded a try when Aaron Mauger crossed out wide after a 50-metre burst only for the try to be disallowed by English referee Tony Spreadbury, who ruled that an earlier pass had been knocked on, although television replays suggested that was not the case.

New Zealand's frustration only increased when Mitchell, starting in a Test for the first time, fended off an attempted tackle by Carter to slide over for the first try, which Giteau converted for 13-0.

Carter kicked a penalty in the 15th minute to open New Zealand's account.

They squandered another try chance when tighthead prop Carl Hayman knocked on with a two-man overlap outside him but finally got over in the 28th minute when scrumhalf Weepu darted over after Rokocoko burst down the left touchline.

Carter converted to pull the margin back to three points at the break before making it 13-13 with an early second-half strike.

New Zealand blew another golden chance when Rico Gear dropped the ball over the line but took the lead for the first time in the 51st minute when Carter landed his third penalty after the Australians collapsed the scrum.

McCaw put the result beyond doubt when he charged over from a quick tap 15 minutes from the end, and Rokocoko put the icing on the cake with a spectacular kick-and-regather solo try.

"We always believed we could win but we needed to show some composure," All Blacks captain Tana Umaga said.

"It wasn't the perfect performance and we're disappointed that we didn't finish off all our opportunities but we'll take this result any time."

The victory lifted New Zealand into second place in the Tri-Nations standings behind South Africa, who won both their home matches earlier this month.

AUSTRALIA: Mitchell; Gerrard, Mortlock, Turinui, Tuqiri, Giteau; Gregan, Lyons; Smith, Roe, Sharpe, Vickerman, Baxter, Paul, Young. Replacements: Cannon, Dunning, Chisholm, Waugh, Whitaker, Flatley, Rathbone.

NEW ZEALAND: Muliaina; Gear, Umaga, Mauger, Rokocoko, Carter; Weepu, So'oialo; McCaw, Collins, Williams, Jack, Hayman, Mealamu, Woodcock. Replacements:Witcombe, Somerville, Ryan, Holah, Senio, McAlister, MacDonald.

Referee: T Spreadbury (England).