New Zealand coach Steve Hansen fears Australia will be strong in the new Rugby Championship - because their Super 15 sides have failed.
Australia boss Robbie Deans will assemble a 36-strong squad in Sydney this week for the second of two training camps ahead of the Bledisloe Cup clashes with New Zealand in Sydney and Auckland next month.
With the Stormers, Sharks, Crusaders and Chiefs all in action in the semi-finals last week, and the Chiefs to host the Sharks in the final on Saturday, Hansen and South Africa counterpart Heyneke Myer have had their time with key players curtailed.
Deans, however, has been able to begin his preparations early after only the Queensland Reds made the top six and were then bundled out in the opening week of the finals by the Sharks.
"I think it's a big advantage to them (Australia)," said Hansen, who will hold a two-day wider training group camp, excluding Chiefs players, in Wellington this week.
"The more preparation time you have the better chance you have of getting your game organised and your structures built in and the clarity.
"We were very fortunate that we managed to, in a very short period of time, get that sorted against Ireland.
"But the Rugby Championship is going to be a totally different contest.
"We're playing two of the top-ranked sides in the world and then you've got Argentina on top of that. The more preparation time you can get the better I think."
