Australia's performance in its first match will be a measure of how the team will fare in the Rugby World Cup, Wallabies legend Mark Ella said.

The former Australian captain said Argentina would provide tough opposition when the two sides clash at Telstra Stadium in Sydney on Friday night.

"The word I get from the Wallaby camp is they're jumping out of their skin and they'll probably need to," Ella told reporters in Townsville.

"The Argentineans are going to be a pretty tough side to beat.

"Australia are up against it basically and they've got to perform and they've got to do well.

"A lot of how they will go in the World Cup will be shown in that first game.

"If they don't start well, it's going to be a lot to expect coming from the season we've just had that they will be able to lift and beat New Zealand (in the semifinals)."

Ella said the Wallabies have lacked consistency, especially in attack, have not been as fluid as in the past and have not dominated in the forwards.

The team has worked hard, Ella said, and his advice in the final days before the tournament was to have pride in the Wallaby jersey.

"It just comes back to pride and commitment and discipline and playing as a unit," he said.

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