The Wallabies, recovering from a record drubbing, made five team changes on Tuesday for their Tri-Nations decider against holders New Zealand in Brisbane on Saturday.

Centre Ryan Cross, flanker George Smith, lock Nathan Sharpe, tighthead prop Al Baxter and hooker Stephen Moore return to the starting team for the Test — the season's third Bledisloe Cup match.

Cross, Smith, Baxter and Moore were on the reserves bench during last month's record 53-8 loss to South Africa in Johannesburg, while Sharpe was not a member of the last squad.

Coach Robbie Deans omitted inside-centre Timana Tahu, flanker Phil Waugh, utility forward Hugh McMeniman, prop Matt Dunning and hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau.

Former rugby league international Tahu and Polota-Nau have missed selection altogether. Waugh, McMeniman and Dunning were named among the replacements, which features a five-two forwards-backs split.

"Last week's gone and we've got a fantastic opportunity this weekend. We will be better out of necessity and I'm very excited about this week, and very excited about this group," Deans said.

"They weren't proud of their last outing so the priority for us is to be proud of what we leave behind this Saturday.

"We've seen some great encounters in Tri-Nations and you're going to see an even better one on the weekend.

"There's been a lot of fast, physical games and this will be both."

Deans said the Mortlock-Cross centre combination was a simple selection choice even though they hadn't started a Test together.

"We've gone to the experienced blokes who've spent a bit of time playing together already this year."

Deans said it was easy to consign the Johannesburg nightmare to history and insisted there was no panic within his team.

"It's more of the same. It's a matter of sticking to what serves you and trying to win more of those little contests so that the outcome deals with itself," he said.

Hooker Adam Freier and loose forward Richard Brown were selected among the reserves, with scrumhalf Brett Sheehan and winger-fullback Drew Mitchell covering the backline positions.

Injured trio inside-centre Berrick Barnes, scrumhalf Luke Burgess and lock Dan Vickerman were not considered for selection.

Australia must beat New Zealand to keep alive their chances of wresting back the Bledisloe Cup, symbol of trans-Tasman rugby supremacy, with the series locked at one match apiece.

The fourth match will be played in Hong Kong on Saturday, 1 November.

Australia must win the series outright to reclaim the Bledisloe Cup, which it has not held since a New Zealand side that had Deans as its assistant coach prevailed two-nil in the 2003 series.

Thirteen of the players named in the starting line-up began when Australia won the opening match of this year's series, 34-19, in Sydney on 26 July.

Wallabies: 15 Adam Ashley-Cooper; 14 Peter Hynes, 13 Ryan Cross, 12 Stirling Mortlock (captain), 11 Lote Tuqiri; 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Sam Cordingley; 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 George Smith, 6 Rocky Elsom; 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 James Horwill; 3 Al Baxter, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: 16 Adam Freier, 17 Matt Dunning, 18 Hugh McMeniman, 19 Phil Waugh, 20 Richard Brown, 21 Brett Sheehan, 22 Drew Mitchell.

AFP