France 33 Australia 6

Gethin Jenkins claims Wales will be a better team for being knocked off “cloud nine” by Australia.

Wales will head into the first of their three Tests against Australia in Brisbane on Saturday with 11 of the starting XV that clinched Grand Slam glory against France in March.

Australia have made seven changes for Friday’s World Cup Pool C clash with the United States in Wellington as they seek to bounce back from their loss to Ireland.

Rocky Elsom has been sensationally dumped as Australia skipper for the World Cup campaign.

IT IS usually wise to downplay the opposition before a huge Test match, but Australia captain Rocky Elsom has a simple message for his side ahead of their visit to Croke Park next Sunday: this is the best team in Ireland’s history.

WALLABIES vice-captain Berrick Barnes has been ruled out of tomorrow’s Bledisloe Cup Test against the All Blacks after rolling his left ankle at training in Tokyo yesterday.

VICTOR MATFIELD believes the last two weeks which have produced back-to-back Tri-Nations victories over New Zealand will count for nothing when South Africa run out against Australia in Cape Town.

ROBBIE DEANS has named seven uncapped players in his first Australia squad for the Test against Ireland on June 14.

NEW ZEALAND have recalled their big stars for Sunday’s World Cup Pool C clash against Scotland at Murrayfield.

Stirling Mortlock has been passed fit to captain a full-strength Australia side in their opening World Cup clash with Japan on Saturday.

WITH the preliminaries against Wales and Fiji out of the way, Australia’s World Cup preparations begin in earnest with next Saturday’s Tri-Nations opener against South Africa in Cape Town.

Australia coach John Connolly is boosted by the return of fly-half Stephen Larkham for Saturday’s Test against Wales in Brisbane, while Western Force winger Digby Ioane will win his first Wallabies cap.

Australia captain Stirling Mortlock will start in the unfamiliar role of inside centre for Saturday’s clash with Ireland.

AUSTRALIA have called up hulking prop Rodney ‘Rodzilla’ Blake to face the All Blacks in Brisbane on Saturday, the only change to the side that handed South Africa a record thrashing two weeks ago.

THREE gruelling battles in consecutive weeks took their toll as Ireland capitulated to a stronger Australian side at Subiaco Oval, Perth, on Saturday.

AUSTRALIA have included nine uncapped players in a new-look 33-man squad.