The Wallabies will have to improve in all departments before their impending showdown with the British and Irish Lions, captain John Eales said yesterday.

Australia showed only patches of their World Cup winning form in their season-opening 41-29 win over the New Zealand Maori on Saturday.

The previous night, the Lions kicked off their tour with a 116-10 stroll over a Western Australian side mostly comprised of part-time players.

Eales and Wallaby coach Rod Macqueen said there were positives from Australia's win over the Maori, but each admitted the side needed to improve significantly.

"It was a good start, but there's probably no area of our game that doesn't need improvement, we have to look to improve everywhere," Eales said.

Macqueen was more specific, citing ball retention and defence as key areas after the Wallabies committed an uncharacteristic amount of missed tackles and turnovers.

He was delighted by the amount of line breaks the Wallabies made against the Maoris, but was disappointed that a lack of composure cost them scoring opportunities and kept their spirited opponents in the game.

"We've got to make sure we're not going to be putting the ball down at the last minute and there's a lot of defensive work there to be done," Macqueen said yesterday.

Eales and Macqueen can take comfort that the Wallabies have started slowly in recent seasons and gone on to lift their game and sweep all before them.

Neither Macqueen nor his captain read a great deal into the Lions' mauling of WA, given the modest standard of opposition they faced.

"I suppose what you see out of something like that is some of the patterns of play and some of the moves they might use, but you'd be fully aware that they'd probably hold a fair few back as well," Eales said.

Macqueen said the Lions looked to be a well disciplined outfit and he was under no illusions about the task facing his team.

"By the time we've reached them, they would have had a number of games under their belt, though any creaks they have as far as combinations are concerned will be sorted out," said Macqueen.

The Lions face a tougher task on June 19th in Gosford against an Australia A team which was named yesterday.

The 24-man squad, to be coached by the next Wallaby coach Eddie Jones, includes 13 players with Test experience and a newcomer to senior representative rugby in former rugby league forward Peter Ryan.

The Australia A squad to face the Lions contains 14 players from New South Wales, nine from the ACT and just one Queenslander, Richard Graham, because the Reds play the tourists three days beforehand.

Jones said the Lions looked a very fit side capable of playing different styles within a single game.

"They've shown a quick rucking game and they are capable of playing a mauling game and with the depth of their squad, no matter who they pick they will have a very good side," Jones said.

He confirmed Wallaby back Rod Kafer has declared himself unavailable for the game and had effectively retired from representative rugby to play club football in England.

AUSTRALIA A: M Bartholomeusz; C Blades, G Bond, T Bowman, B Cannon; M Edmonds, R

Graham; N Grey, T Hall, J Harrison, J Holbeck, J Huxley, L Inman, D Lyons, R Moore, T Murphy, P Noriega, S Payne, P Ryan, S Staniforth, P Waugh, J West, C Whitaker, J Williams.