The Wallabies are expecting a massive challenge when Scotland and Wales head Down Under this summer.
Scotland travel to Newcastle for a one-off international on June 5, while Wales are in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney for a three-Test series on June 9, 16 and 23.
And while Australia will start all four matches as heavy favourites, new coaches Tony McGahan and Nick Srivener believe the British sides will really fancy their chances.
“Scotland will be looking to ambush us,' said Scrivener, who has just been appointed assistant coach to Robbie Deans having previously taken charge of Scotland A and Edinburgh.
“They beat the Wallabies last time a couple of years ago at Murrayfield.
“They'll know what our lead in will be (a congested Super 15 schedule and no international games since December 1), they’ll know our circumstance and they'll definitely smell some blood and go at us really, really hard.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Australia’s new coaching coordinator McGahan, the man who has led Munster to a brace of Celtic League titles as head coach at Thomond Park and to the same number of Heineken Cups during his time as assistant to Declan Kidney.
McGahan is anticipating a wonderful spectacle against Grand Slam winners Wales in particular, especially as the welcome return to a prolonged series comes just a year out from the same kind of showdown with the Lions.
“We’re expecting a good series this summer. We’ve got the 6 Nations Champions coming across and we’re sure they’ll want to step up to the mark,” said McGahan.
“They’ll want to continue to build on their growth from the World Cup and the 6 Nations by going overseas to somewhere like Australia. We’ll certainly be well aware of the challenge in front of us.
“It’s always very difficult to combine all your competitions and to travel at the end of the season like Wales will have to do but it’s the same when the southern hemisphere sides come over here to the northern hemisphere.
“A three-Test series should be fantastic. To get three Tests in a row against the same opposition will certainly be different to the norm for us.”
