Australia v Ireland, Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Saturday 14, 8.05pm

The sight of a grinning Robert Maxwell Deans looking on as the Wallabies went through a series of old-fashioned catch-and-pass drills at training must have brought a smile to the faces of Australian fans this week. It hinted at the promise of a more adventurous approach than in recent years, the possibility of the counter-attacking verve synonymous with Deans's Crusaders teams.

That style isn't possible until the skills are right, and although they are often called "the basics", perhaps "the fundamentals" is a more apt description. And when the Cantabrian was asked what could be achieved in the two weeks he had with the squad before the Irish Test, he began his reply with: "A lot."

The feelgood factor is back in Australian rugby and Deans is clearly happy with the talent pool he has inherited, especially in the backs. Matt Giteau and Berrick Barnes have the ability to form the classic left boot/right boot combination at No.10 and No.12, and debutant/convict descendant Luke Burgess - while clearly as mad as a bag of snakes off the field - is at that most fleeting period of rugby careers when pace and unbridled enthusiasm converge.

The 24-year old Waratahs halfback is joined by Reds wing Peter Hynes and Waratahs second-rower Dean Mumm in the new boys' club and when you put them all together you get a Wallabies squad that has been injected with a lot of pace. The Wallabies will try to run the Irish off their feet, and probably succeed after the men in green's draining defensive effort against the All Blacks last Saturday. Deans will also be looking for an immediate but significant improvement in the aggression at the breakdown and the Wallabies' tactical kicking, and will be encouraged by the extra 10 metres Giteau and Barnes appear to have found in their boots during the Super 14.

Ireland will once again look to their excellent captain Paul O'Connell as their main source of possession at the lineout and chief destroyer around the park. They will ask questions of Stephen Moore's throwing but if there is one thing they cannot afford to lose in the forward exchanges it is their heads. Lack of discipline hurt at key times last week against the All Blacks and Cameron Shepherd has the ability to punish teams from distance with his goalkicking, especially in the wind-less conditions under the Telstra Dome roof.

Ireland's loose forwards were outstanding last week against McCaw and co, especially openside breakaway David Wallace, but the tanks must now be nearing empty when they need to be full to combat George Smith. The scrum remains a concern, and Wallabies fans looking for a real sign of progress in this area will have to wait until the Tri Nations. Tight-head John Hayes endured a tough night against the All Blacks, and not for the first time.

In the backs, Robert Kearney at fullback continues to emerge as a real star of the future. The 22-year-old is a powerful runner in the Gavin Hastings mould with a beautiful left boot. With Brian O'Driscoll such a closely marked man these days, Kearney shapes as the biggest threat to the Australian defence that may just have a few teething problems as the players adjust to the Deans era. Deans has taken over defensive responsibilities from John Muggleton, and it has to be noted the Wallabies were miserly under Muggleton's watch.

The key match-up: Inside-centre - Berrick Barnes v Paddy Wallace. It's easy to forget Barnes is still only 22, two years younger than Burgess. At the Reds this year he spent most of the season buried under rucks and making desperate tackles to cover for deficiencies elsewhere in the back line, so it may take a while to recover his attacking rhythm, but if you're wondering why Wayne Bennett at the Broncos is always so grumpy it's because Barnes left to play rugby. Wallace isn't a first choice No.12, but he scored a very neat blindside try against the All Blacks and is the sort of quick thinker that will benefit if the game opens up. A question mark over his defence though.

The stat: There are just three survivors from the 22-man squads involved in the final Test of the epic 2001 Wallabies v Lions series, won 2-1 by the Wallabies - Brian O'Driscoll, Ronan O'Gara and George Smith. The Wallabies won 29-23 in Sydney.

Prediction: Australia by 18.
TV: Fox Sports 3, 8.00pm, Sydney time.

The teams:
Australia: Cameron Shepherd (Western Force), Peter Hynes (Queensland Reds), Stirling Mortlock (capt) (ACT Brumbies), Berrick Barnes (Queensland Reds), Lote Tuqiri (NSW Waratahs), Matt Giteau (Western Force), Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs), Wycliff Palu (NSW Waratahs), George Smith (ACT Brumbies), Rocky Elsom (NSW Waratahs), Nathan Sharpe (Western Force), James Horwill (Queensland Reds), Matt Dunning (NSW Waratahs), Stephen Moore (Queensland Reds), Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs). Reserves: Adam Freier (NSW Waratahs), Al Baxter (NSW Waratahs), Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs), Phil Waugh (NSW Waratahs), Sam Cordingley (Queensland Reds), Ryan Cross (Western Force), Adam Ashley-Cooper (ACT Brumbies).

Ireland: Robert Kearney (Leinster), Shane Horgan (Leinster), Brian O'Driscoll (capt) (Leinster), Paddy Wallace (Ulster), Tommy Bowe (Ulster), Ronan O'Gara (Munster), Peter Stringer (Munster), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster), David Wallace (Munster), Denis Leamy (Munster), Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster), Paul O'Connell (Munster), John Hayes (Munster), Rory Best (Ulster), Marcus Horan (Munster).
Reserves: Jerry Flannery (Munster), Tony Buckley (Munster), Mick O'Driscoll (Munster), Shane Jennings (Leinster), Eoin Reddan (Wasps), Girvan Dempsey (Leinster), Geordan Murphy (Leicester Tigers)

Ref: Christophe Berdos (France)