Wallabies wary of Welsh threat

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans is under no illusions about the threat that Grand Slam champions Wales will pose in the three Test series in Australia next month.

The Wallabies enjoyed two narrow wins over Wales last year: firstly 21-18 in the Bronze Medal final at the World Cup, before repeating the dose with a 24-18 success in the one-off Test for the James Bevan Trophy at the end of last year's brief Spring Tour, so the new Six Nations champions will be intent on setting the record straight and Deans is expecting them to come out firing.

The Wallaby coach commented: "After winning the Six Nations so impressively, there's no doubt that Wales see this tour as the chance to take the next step.

"They were quite vocal about that at the end of the tournament, saying it was time they beat one of the major Southern Hemisphere nations. It was also clear, when we were in Cardiff last December for the James Bevan Trophy Test, that they believe that goal is within their reach," added Deans.

Wales finished fourth at last year's World Cup before achieving a second Grand Slam of the annual European Six Nations tournament in five years, after also having swept all before them in the 2008 edition of the competition.

"The core of the Welsh squad has been together for a long time, and they are used to being successful. You only have to look at the settled nature of the squad they have named this morning – there are very few injuries. The players all want to be on this trip. That, in itself, is a statement of their intent," said Deans.

Next month's visit is the seventh by a Welsh team to Australia. In all, nine matches have been played, with the 19-16 win by Wales on debut at Sydney in 1969, the sole victory secured to date by the visitors from those matches.

Deans said that is an indicator of the depth that has developed in Welsh rugby in recent seasons that just four of the players named in the expanded squad have not played for the national senior squad before.