Luke Burgess and Peter Hynes will make their Test debuts for the Wallabies on Saturday, after being named in the side to play Ireland in Melbourne in Australia's first Test since the World Cup last year.

Waratahs scrumhalf Burgess and Reds wing Hynes are the two fresh faces in the first run-on side that has been selected by the new Wallabies head coach Robbie Deans.

Two other players could also make their debuts, after Western Force centre Ryan Cross and Waratahs lock Dean Mumm gained places amongst the reserves, for the Lansdowne Cup Test match at the Telstra Dome.

Deans says the four players earned their selection on the back of the form they displayed during the closing weeks of the Super 14.

"We said, when we selected our initial squad, that we saw all of the players as being ready to go, and our selection of four new caps follows through on that philosophy," Dean said.

"We've been impressed with the attitude and the enthusiasm that all of the players have brought into camp. It wasn't an easy side to pick."

Burgess, 24, has won the race to the scrumhalf spot after an impressive debut campaign as a Waratah where he featured in 12 of the 14 matches played by the Super 14 finalists.

This followed on from a strong performance for the Melbourne Rebels last year, when he was an influential figure in that side's run to the final of the Australian Rugby Championship.

Hynes, 25, who debuted for the Reds in Super rugby in 2003, scored five tries during the recent campaign – including one against the Robbie Deans-coached Crusaders. The fair-haired speedster is widely experienced at that level, having advanced his career appearance tally in Super rugby during the course of the recent competition to 55 matches.

Cross and Mumm are poised to add their names to the Test list among the ‘Men of Gold' after having performed impressively for their respective provinces in just their second seasons in Super rugby.

The new caps aside, other features of the first Wallaby line-up for 2008 include the reshaping of the pairing of Matt Giteau and Berrick Barnes in the five-eighths, with Deans opting to play Giteau in the pivotal position after he was played outside of Barnes during last year's World Cup.

Just 10 of the starting XV have been re-selected in the run on side, from the line-up that fronted for the Wallabies' final match of last season, against England in the World Cup quarterfinal at Marseilles.

Cameron Shepherd has won the race to the vacant fullback jersey, with Adam Ashley-Cooper covering the position from the bench, while the experienced Reds' scrumhalf Sam Cordingley backs up Burgess.

Up front, Reds' hooker Stephen Moore has been combined in the front row alongside New South Wales props Benn Robinson and Matt Dunning, with the latter on the tighthead side after he started at loosehead against England.

Second row forward James Horwill continues the rapid rise that saw him - at just 22 - lead his province in the Super 14; by being named to partner Nathan Sharpe in the engine room of the scrum.

Brumbies' flank George Smith has been selected to start on the openside, although Deans has made it clear that his side will pursue a high tempo game, which will mean there will also be a role for his understudy, Waratahs skipper Phil Waugh.

"Saturday is the starting point for us as a group. It is an opportunity we're all looking forward too," Deans said.

"As they showed last weekend in Wellington [against the All Blacks], the Irish can be a difficult opponent to play, and they have historically troubled Australia."

While Australia has won 18 of the 26 Test matches it has played against Ireland, Saturday's visitors won the most recent clash between the two nations, 21-6 at Dublin in 2006.

Just six of the players named in the Australian line-up for this week's encounter, featured on that occasion, and two of those are in different positions now.

"They're an experienced unit, with some world class players in the form of the likes of [centre] Brian O'Driscoll and [lock] Paul O'Connell, who are up there with the best individuals in the game," Deans said.

"They've also had a week on us, in terms of getting a game together as a combination, which we obviously haven't yet had. Then there is the reality that this match will revert back to the pre-ELV laws. That adds to the challenge ahead, but is a circumstance that we've known about for a long time, and is something we've prepared for."

Wallabies: 15 Cameron Shepherd (Western Force), 14 Peter Hynes (Reds), 13 Stirling Mortlock (Brumbies, captain), 12 Berrick Barnes (Reds), 11 Lote Tuqiri (Waratahs), 10 Matt Giteau (Western Force), 9 Luke Burgess (Waratahs), 8 Wycliff Palu (Waratahs), 7 George Smith (Brumbies), 6 Rocky Elsom (Waratahs), 5 Nathan Sharpe (Western Force), 4 James Horwill (Reds), 3 Matt Dunning (Waratahs), 2 Stephen Moore (Reds), 1 Benn Robinson (Waratahs).
Replacements: 16 Adam Freier (Waratahs), 17 Al Baxter (Waratahs), 18 Dean Mumm (Waratahs), 19 Phil Waugh (Waratahs), 20 Sam Cordingley (Reds), 21 Ryan Cross (Western Force), 22 Adam Ashley-Cooper (Brumbies).

Date: Saturday, June 14
Venue: Telstra Dome, Melbourne
Kick-off: 20.00 (10.00 GMT)
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
Touch judges: Chris White (England), Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
TMO: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)

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