British and Irish Lions

Kelleher retired from international rugby after the quarter-final defeat to France and admitted senior players were reluctant to follow Graham Henry's rotation method.

The former Waikato, Otago and Chiefs half-back, who will join French Top-14 outfit Toulouse after the World Cup, also revealed he found the omission of Doug Howlett and Aaron Mauger from the majority of the World Cup campaign puzzling.

"Some of the players didn't really want to believe in it but we were all as one in this World Cup and we all buy into the concept together and that was the coach's strategy for this World Cup," Kelleher told TV3.

"We do make comments in the All Blacks and sometimes we agree to disagree at times so we are all heading in the same direction and all on the same wavelength to achieve the ultimate goal.

"You can't replace experience. No matter how much flair and talent might be coming through from youth, experience is what it is all about.

"England has been showing us that. They have a lot of players in there who know how to win games and that is unfortunately in the nature of this competition."

The Waratahs upset the odds by beating Super Rugby leaders the Brumbies 28-22, but the game came at a huge cost to Qantas Wallabies coach Robbie Deans.

Lions skipper Sam Warburton says the lessons he and his Welsh colleagues learnt in Australia last summer will stand them in good stead for their return visit with Britain and Ireland's elite next month.

Tom Youngs has enjoyed a remarkable rise to the top of the British & Irish game but he won't be resting on his laurels ahead of his first Lions adventure.