New Australian captain Phil Waugh says Saturday's first Test against Wales is a chance to win back the belief of the rugby faithful in his side's World Cup credentials.

A Super 14 season to forget for the Australian franchises, the patchy form of the Wallabies in their most recent outings and the resting of 18 of Wales' top players is expected to leave Telstra Stadium with a crowd less than 40,000.

But Waugh, named captain in Australia's first line-up of the international season, said the match was a chance to take a psychological edge over the Welsh, who the Wallabies meet in their pool at the World Cup in September.

"It's a huge responsibility (but) there's a huge amount of belief within the team," he said.

"I think this is our first opportunity to get out there and perform and hopefully regain a lot of belief from the public."

Waugh will start at openside flanker ahead of Australian Super 14 player of the year George Smith, despite missing most of the season with injury.

After coach John Connolly named Waugh and centre Stirling Mortlock as Wallabies co-captains earlier this week, Mortlock and reserve Smith were named vice-captains for Saturday's clash.

"Depending on who's in the team (that determines) who captains the side," Connolly said.

"It's probably fair to think that ... Waugh will captain Australia twice and Stirling will captain Australia twice in these first four Tests."

Waugh only made his return in the Waratahs' last match of the Super 14 season after undergoing ankle surgery following an injury in round three.

"(I'm) pretty nervous really," he said of his match-fitness.

"I think that's just one of those things that you've just got to push through.

"My match fitness probably won't be as good as it can be but it's going to be a start."

Long-serving skipper George Gregan finds himself on the bench as utility Matt Giteau starts at halfback, but Waugh said Gregan's presence was a bonus.

"It's a huge benefit to Stirling and myself to have him (Gregan) in the squad and in the team and we'll certainly draw on his experience when any decisions are made," Waugh said.

Giteau said Gregan had helped him sharpen his halfback skills, something that had made him more prepared for the position than when he was thrown the job with little notice on last year's spring tour.

"Having played on the tour last year I'm a little bit more confident this time around," Giteau said.

"There's just little things that I need to get up to speed with and just pick up the little ins and outs of halfback and Gregs has been more than happy to help me out."

In the pack, prop Matt Dunning gets a recall to join Guy Shepherdson, who was called up from the bench when Al Baxter withdrew with bronchitis.

Stephen Moore is the hooker and Benn Robinson has been added to the reserves.

Loose-head Dunning plays his first Test since Australia's scrum was demolished by England at Twickenham during the spring European tour of 2005.

Asked whether he thought it was important Dunning buried those ghosts, Waugh said: "I think it's very important.

"I've always been a huge fan of Matt Dunning's and I honestly think he could be a world class front-rower."

While Connolly said his line-up was not experimental, he gave Adam Ashley-Cooper, at inside centre, and winger Drew Mitchell their first caps since 2005 and handed Julian Huxley his debut at fullback at the age of 27.

Connolly said he would be rotating players through the side's first three Tests of 2007 - two against the Welsh and one against Fiji - before settling on a final squad for the Tri Nations series.

Australia: Julian Huxley, Mark Gerrard, Stirling Mortlock (v-capt), Adam Ashley-Cooper, Drew Mitchell, Stephen Larkham, Matt Giteau, Wycliff Palu, Phil Waugh (capt), Rocky Elsom, Mark Chisholm, Nathan Sharpe, Guy Shepherdson, Stephen Moore, Matt Dunning. Res: Adam Freier, Benn Robinson, Dan Vickerman, Stephen Hoiles, George Smith (v-capt), George Gregan, Scott Staniforth.

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