Welsh to provide a tough challenge

VENUE & TIME: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Sunday December 4, 1.30am (AEDT)

HEAD TO HEAD: Played 31 - Wallabies 20, Wales 10, Draw 1.

LAST TIME: October 21, 2011 (Auckland) - Wallabies 21-18 Wales.

WALKING WOUNDED: Wales coach Warren Gatland has made six changes to the side that lost to the Wallabies in the Bronze playoff at Eden Park last month. Senior players Jonathan Davies, Adam Jones, Paul James and Alun Wyn-Jones miss out through injury, while James Hook and Mike Phillips are unavailable due to club commitments. Skipper Sam Warburton returns from suspension while Scott Andrews, Ian Evans, Lloyd Williams, Justin Tipuric, Dan Biggar and Alex Cuthbert are the other new faces in the 22. Wallabies skipper James Horwill will return to the starting side after coming off the bench for last week's mauling of the Barbarians at Twickenham. Outside-centre Rob Horne is in doubt after pulling up sore at training on Friday, with Anthony Fainga'a on standby to come into the starting side. No.8 Ben McCalman returns after missing the Barbarians clash with an eye infection, forcing Dave Dennis out of the 22. Berrick Barnes is a definite starter at inside-centre despite being accidentally kneed in the back last weekend, while stand-in flyhalf James O'Connor has also recovered from a hand injury. Reds utility Ben Lucas has been named as Will Genia's understudy at scrumhalf ahead of Nick Phipps, while Ben Tapuai is also in line to make his Test debut after being named on the bench. Several Wallabies stars including Quade Cooper (knee) and John Eales Medallist Kurtley Beale (hamstring) are missing after suffering injuries in New Zealand.

FORM: The Rugby World Cup was a definite case of what might have been for Warren Gatland's talented young side. They should have beaten South Africa in the pool stage, eventually losing by a point, and they were basically robbed of a spot in the finals when skipper Sam Warburton was controversially red carded for a lifting tackle on Vincent Clerc in their controversial 9-8 semi-final loss to France. They were brave in the 21-18 loss to Australia in the Bronze playoff but were unable to crack the determined Wallabies defensive line despite dominating territory and possession in the final 10 minutes. The Wallabies ran in eight-tries-to-one en route to their record 60-11 win over the Barbarians in the early hours of Sunday morning (AEDT). While it was a promising start to the post World Cup phase of the Robbie Deans era, the Wallabies' 2011 campaign will forever be defined by their listless display in the 20-6 semi-final loss to the All Blacks. Losses to Samoa and Ireland also left a sour taste for Wallabies fans who expected so much after claiming the Tri Nations trophy for the first time in the decade.

WHO'S HOT: Wales boast a core group of world-class players led by inspirational skipper and openside flanker Sam Warburton. Destructive inside-centre Jamie Roberts was arguably the player of the tournament at the World Cup, while Rhys Priestland emerged as a serious threat at flyhalf before injury curtailed his tournament. No.8 Toby Faletau also came of age in New Zealand and looks set to terrorise opponents for the next decade at Test level. Adam Ashley-Cooper relished his return to the full-back position against the Baa Baas, earning