[1] Wallabies captain James Horwill (L) speaks as coach Robbie Deans listens during a media conference in Auckland on Monday. REUTERS/David Gray Shattered captain James Horwill says it's important the Wallabies rally to finish the Rugby World Cup well in Friday night's play-off for third place against Wales.
The Wallabies woke up to the sobering reality that their title campaign is over after Sunday night's 20-6 semifinal loss to the highly impressive All Blacks at Eden Park.
"It's still obviously bitterly disappointing that we didn't get the job done," Horwill said.
"But that's sport, that's footy. We were beaten by a better side on the day and that's the reality of it."
While some team-mates admit it will be difficult to lift for the "dead rubber" against Wales, Horwill said it was important the Wallabies finished in style.
"I think it's a good thing that we're playing so soon because you can sit and dwell on these things now," said Horwill.
"But the fact that in four days' time we get the chance to pull on the jersey and finish this tournament off on a positive note is the thing that's going to drive us.
"A lot of work has gone into to getting to where we now.
"The whole group has put in a lot of effort and we want to finish this tournament on the right note and that's by finishing third."
Horwill, who replaced Rocky Elsom as Australian captain just three weeks before the tournament, said the Wallabies' dressing room was like a morgue after Sunday night's defeat.
"It's a difficult one. The boys were all visibly disappointed with the result," he said.
"We came here to win this tournament and unfortunately that's not going to happen.
"But I was very proud of the guys throughout the tournament with the way they've carried themselves and the effort that's been put in by everyone, not just the players but by the management and all our support staff.
"It's a big group here and we've spent a lot of time together ... but the reality is we've fallen one step short to a very good New Zealand side.
"The World Cup's a unique tournament. This is my first experience at it and it's certainly difficult to any rugby that I've played before and so that's probably the thing you learn from it.
"For a number of guys it was our first tournament. It's a different style of rugby and everything is amped up and I think we'll have to learn from this moving forward."
Coach Robbie Deans said selectors would have no choice but to name a revamped line-up to face Wales simply because the core of the side had carried an enormous workload since the start of the four-Test Tri Nations series in July.
Deans said forwards Dan Vickerman, Sekope Kepu and Stephen Moore and centre Pat McCabe were all battered and bruised, while fullback Kurtley Beale remains in doubt after missing the semifinal with a hamstring injury.
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