Skipper James Horwill is hopeful star flanker David Pocock will be on deck as the new-age Wallabies look to break through another barrier with a decisive Rugby World Cup victory over Ireland on Saturday.

Pocock is in doubt for the crunch match in Auckland that will almost certainly determine Pool C honours after sitting out Friday's captain's run with a sore back.

If he wakes up on Saturday morning still feeling tight, Ben McCalman will start at openside flanker and damaging back-rower Wycliff Palu will likely be promoted to the bench for his first Test of the year.

While his condition is not serious, it would still be of concern to coach Robbie Deans given selectors didn't bring a specialist back-up No.7 to New Zealand for the tournament.

Horwill, though, was reasonably confident Pocock - one of five nominees for world player of the year honours in 2010 - would take his place in Australia's starting line-up.

"He's just a bit tight and we just wanted to be pretty careful with him," Horwill said after the captain's run at Eden Park.

"We didn't want to push it, but I imagine he will be okay. That's the belief that I've got from speaking with him."

Horwill said he trusted Pocock to make the right call in consultation with the Wallabies medicos.

"If he's right, he's going to give it his all. He's that sort of guy," the skipper said.

"If he doesn't feel as though he can get out their and play, then he's obviously not going to play.

"We understand this is a huge game for us. It's a huge game every time we play Ireland, but for this tournament it's a massive game for us.

"It's going to be very willing and you expect that every time you come up against Ireland.

"It's going to be one hell of a contest."

The Test will be Deans' 50th at the helm and the Wallabies have buried all sorts of hoodoos since his appointment in June 2008.

They have won on the South African high-veldt for the first time in 47 years, snapped Australia's longest losing streak in Tests against New Zealand and broken a decade-long Tri Nations title drought only last month with victory over the All Blacks in Brisbane.

On Saturday night, the Wallabies will be chasing their first Test win at Eden Park in a quarter of a century.

Although Australia's opponents won't be their bitter trans-Tasman rivals, any success at the venue would be a big confidence booster ahead of a potential World Cup final at New Zealand rugby's spiritual home on October 23.

"I look at it as the same old stadium, like everywhere else in the world," Wallabies fullback Kurtley Beale said.

"(But) if we do get a good start there, it might help us down the track."

Australia: Kurtley Beale, James O'Connor, Anthony Fainga'a, Pat McCabe, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Quade Cooper, Will Genia, Radike Samo, David Pocock, Rocky Elsom, James Horwill (capt), Dan Vickerman, Ben Alexander, Stephen Moore, Sekope Kepu. Res: Tatafu Polota-Nau, James Slipper, Rob Simmons, Ben McCalman, Scott Higginbotham, Luke Burgess, Drew Mitchell.

Ireland: Rob Kearney, Tommy Bowe, Brian O'Driscoll (capt), Gordon D'Arcy, Keith Earls, Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan, Jamie Heaslip, Sean O'Brien, Stephen Ferris, Paul O'Connell, Donncha O'Callaghan, Mike Ross, Rory Best, Cian Healy. Res: Sean Cronin, Tom Court, Donnacha Ryan, Denis Leamy, Conor Murray, Ronan O'Gara, Andrew Trimble.

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