Australia flanker Rocky Elsom scored a hat-trick against Japan

"We haven't played for seven weeks so we expected to be a bit rusty in the first half but I thought we got it together in the second half," he said.

"We're satisfied with our performance. We went out there to play a specific way and that's what we did."

"We wanted to give our pack a workout and practice our rolling mauls."

Connolly added: "There were times when I thought we were a bit loose and we pushed some passes that should have stayed in hand, but it was a good start."

The victory was marred by a knee injury to replacement wing Mark Gerrard.

Connolly said Gerrard had been taken to hospital for scans but the early diagnosis was not good.

"We're hoping for the best but we're expecting the worse," the coach added.

"He still doesn't know how it happened but he said he heard a click in his knee."

Regardless of the scoreline people could see that we were trying for 80 minutes Japan coach John Kirwan

Japan's captain Takamichi Sasaki was also taken to hospital for scans on his knee, threatening his chances of playing in their next game against Fiji.

Coach John Kirwan said he was pleased with his team's performance in the first half, when they held the 1999 winners to 23-3.

Former All Black hoped his side would learn from their mistakes in the second half when the Wallabies raised the tempo.

"Nobody likes to lose like that but I don't have an issue with the result. The most important thing for me was the first 50 minutes," Kirwan said.

"We're trying to build a team. We have a lot of young players and that was an important learning curve for them.

"Regardless of the scoreline, people could see that we were trying for 80 minutes and in the first half we managed to put the Australian side under pressure.

"I thought they were very clinical... and they will be there right to the end."