The Wallabies have survived an almighty scare to open their 2007 Test rugby campaign with an unconvincing 29-23 win over the depleted Welsh at Telstra Stadium.

A try to replacement back-rower Stephen Hoiles after the siren gave the Wallabies a heart-stopping victory after they had looked down and out when man-of-the-match James Hook slotted a drop goal to put Wales a point ahead eight minutes from time.

Chasing their first success on Australian soil since 1969, the maligned Welsh led for all but six minutes after skipping out to a 17-0 lead in the opening quarter courtesy of long-range tries to winger Gareth Thomas and centre Jamie Robinson, and three goals to Hook.

It took unanswered strikes from rampaging No.8 Wycliff Palu, second-rower Nathan Sharpe, halfback Matt Giteau and then Hoiles to save Australia's blushes.

But coach John Connolly admitted he and fellow Wallabies selectors Scott Johnson and Michael O'Connor had some serious decisions to make after the experienced and new-look backline completely misfired.

Missing linchpins Stephen Larkham, Chris Latham and Lote Tuqiri, Connolly opted to blood rookies Sam Norton-Knight, Julian Huxley and Adam Ashley-Cooper in key positions.

Norton-Knight, who replaced the injured Larkham at five-eighth, and fullback Huxley had games to forget, while the Wallabies' persistence with using Giteau at scrum-half, rather than his preferred inside-centre position, also proved less than successful.

Although Giteau added spark around the ruck, his class and creativity was sorely missed in the midfield and George Gregan's introduction in the final quarter of an hour was a catalyst for Australia's nailbiting comeback win.

While Norton-Knight remains every chance of maintaining the No.10 jumper for next Saturday's second Test in Brisbane - with the Wallabies unwilling to rush Larkham back from a hamstring strain - Connolly conceded there were likely to be "two or three changes".

Gregan is almost certain to start at halfback, with Giteau back in the centres alongside Stirling Mortlock.

"What we do with Matthew Giteau is an ongoing discussion, I guess," Connolly said.

"We thought he played well at nine. We thought George played well when he went on.

"Matthew also brings that structure in the midfield, so we're kind of searching at the moment."

Wallabies great Tim Horan suggested while commenting on Channel Seven that Gregan was the halfback answer, claiming Australia's most-capped player "ignited" the backline when injected into the fray.

Two backline errors gifted the Welsh a 14-0 lead when Thomas - playing his record 93rd Test for Wales - crossed in the third minute after Mortlock blunder.

With the Wallabies on the attack, Mortlock was unable to control a flat pass from Norton-Knight and the Welsh toed the loose ball ahead, with Thomas pouncing after Giteau failed to secure possession close to his own line after winning the foot race to the ball.

Huxley then threw a wild intercept pass to allow Robinson to race 70 metres to leave the Welsh in command early.

A Hook penalty made it 17-0 before Palu and Sharpe barged over for close-range tries to have Australia trailing 17-12 at the break.

Another Hook penalty extended Wales' lead to 20-12 before Giteau dummied his way over from close range to narrow the deficit to one point after 54 minutes.

A Mortlock penalty nudged the Wallabies ahead 22-20 on the hour only for Hook to land his drop goal six minutes later to leave the Wallabies fretting until Hoiles' last-gasp effort.

"We had 85 per cent of the field position and 85 per cent of the territory and we were down 17-nil," Connolly lamented.

"If you play loosely against any good team, you're going to pay for it and they had the ability and the pace to capitalise on our mistakes and we had to dig our way out of it."

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