For coach Michael Cheika, the pass mark for Australia's Rugby Championship opener against South Africa will be judged primarily on how much passion his Wallabies bring to the contest.
For skipper Stephen Moore, success in their first test of World Cup year will depend on how the Wallabies can impose their brand of rugby on Saturday's game.
Cheika's selections — with Will Genia, Quade Cooper and Matt Giteau forming the 9-10-12 fulcrum for the first time since 2010 — indicate the Wallabies want to attack at every opportunity.
South Africa coach Heyneke Meyer picked a lineup strong on the ball at the breakdown, and is determined to keep Australia's forwards from supplying quality possession to a backline brimming with experience — albeit some not entirely recent.
"There's no gambling here," Cheika said. "Any player that steps into the fold to play in that jersey, I'll be believing in 100 per cent."
Veteran No. 8 Schalk Burger has been recalled to the starting lineup that beat a World XV selection 46-10 last week, adding some extra starch to a back-row containing dynamic flankers Marcell Coetzee and Francois Louw and working behind a big, powerful pack that is expected to have the advantage at the scrum.
Where the Wallabies have experience in midfield, the Springboks have youth. Handre Pollard is growing into the flyhalf role and has nine caps, inside centre Damian de Allende has three, and outside centre Jess Kriel will make his debut. The Springboks are relying on scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar for direction and Willie le Roux's unpredictability from fullback.
The return of Queensland Reds halves Genia and Cooper, with 111 caps between them, and the 92-test veteran Giteau's comeback from a four-year exile, has meant an overhaul of the Australian backline, and could make or break the game.
Springboks skipper Victor Matfield was confident his midfield had the talent and exuberance to combat Australia's veterans, and his loose forwards had the strength and speed to dominate possession.
"Yes, they're very young but it's good. A lot of the time you need the excitement of the youngsters to come through," he said. "Luckily, they've played together last week. The Aussies ... it's also a new combination for them — although they're very experienced, they haven't played together for a very long time."
South Africa has won four of the last five head-to-heads, after losing five in a row, and won the last match — 28-10 at Cape Town last September — a year after breaking a Brisbane drought with a 38-12 win.
The Australians have lost six of their last seven tests — all away in late 2014 — and Cheika has since focused on building a tight bond in his squad.
"I just want to see them play with passion," Cheika said Friday after the Wallabies trained at a cold and blustery Ballymore. Putting "markers down are just to impress others or try and get some type of acceptance. What we want to do is be true to the team we want to be, the identity we want to have."
Moore, returning as captain for the first time since a season-ending injury in Australia's first test last year, said the Wallabies need to match South Africa physically in the forward exchanges in order to give the backs space and time to cut loose.
"We need to do our job up front, which is always a big challenge against South Africa, if we want our backs to be able to get that quality ball," the veteran hooker said. "We've got an identity this Wallaby group want to stand for, and want to be known for — tomorrow won't be the finished product but we'll go out there and give it a crack."
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Lineups:
Australia: Israel Folau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Giteau, Rob Horne, Quade Cooper, Will Genia; Scott Higginbotham, Michael Hooper, Scott Fardy, Will Skelton, Rob Simmons, Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore (captain) James Slipper. Reserves: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Scott Sio, Greg Holmes, James Horwill, David Pocock, Nick Phipps, Matt Toomua, Drew Mitchell.
South Africa: Willie le Roux, J.P. Pietersen, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Bryan Habana, Handre Pollard, Ruan Pienaar; Schalk Burger, Marcell Coetzee, Francois Louw, Victor Matfield (captain), Eben Etzebeth, Jannie du Plessis, Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira. Reserves: Adriaan Strauss, Heinke van der Merwe, Frans Malherbe, Lood de Jager, Oupa Mohoje, Cobus Reinach, Pat Lambie, Lwazi Mvovo.
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