Robbie Deans, overlooked for the All Blacks' coach's job four years ago, has set his sights on a third World Cup for the Wallabies at a ground where they have not won since 1986.
If they are to lift the Webb Ellis trophy yet again, Australia need to beat the All Blacks then defeat the winners of Saturday's semi-final between Wales and France.
Australia turned in an awesome defensive display against defending champions South Africa in the quarter-finals and now look to expand their game against the All Blacks.
"We have to bring more to the table, ask more of the All Blacks because if we don't, they'll bring a lot more to the table," Deans said on Friday.
"There's many areas we have to do well in just to be competitive in the first instance. It will take a total performance, attack and defence.
"We'll have to trust ourselves, back ourselves, believe in ourselves, back our systems as well as hang tough when the traffic starts coming the other way.
"It's very much mental at this point. It's too late to recreate the wheel so to speak in terms of the way we approach the game.
"There's not a lot you can do to change your physical state so without a doubt your mindset and how you cope with some of the challenges is key."
Quade Cooper, the New Zealand-born flyhalf who has become a pantomime villain in his native land, has a vital role in a backline awash with talent, even if fullback Kurtley Beale fails to recover in time from a hamstring injury.
Cooper's gifts are undeniable. He has vision, pace, and audacity but he can be both outrageously good and terribly fallible in the course of the same match.
Most of the publicity this week in a country desperate to win the World Cup for only the second time since the inaugural 1987 tournament has surrounded the chronic foot injury to captain Richie McCaw.
But an equally influential figure will be Piri Weepu, who against Argentina assumed the number one scrumhalf spot and also successfully filled the goal-kicking role in the absence of the injured Daniel Carter.
"He's always been a quality player. He's always had time, he's always loved the big occasions. If you watch him play he seems to have a lot more time than most out there so that just shows quality," coach Graham Henry said.
"Now that Daniel's not playing there's more responsibility on nine to navigate the ship and probably take over a bit more of the game, which he doesn't mind doing."
Henry was reappointed as All Blacks coach ahead of Deans even though New Zealand made their earliest World Cup exit ever when they were beaten by France four years ago. Sunday is certain to be his last game in charge if the All Blacks lose.
"I think there's a quiet focus there, a quiet determination," he said. "The guys have been a bit quieter than normal, probably because it's such a huge game. It's probably the biggest game these guys have played in 10 years."
"Australia, they're like a big brother to us, a country of 20 million competing with 4-1/2 million and that is a positive relationship I think. It brings the best out of New Zealanders.
"But as far as this rugby tournament is concerned it's a semi-final we need to win to win a cup and it so happens that it's against Australia."