EARLY DAYS yet, and not so much the honeymoon period as the wedding day, but Robbie Deans has quickly generated goodwill and optimism in Australian rugby despite one or two initially loud sceptics such as the erudite former Wallaby turned columnist Peter Fitzsimons. It's not difficult to see why.

Deans boasts an impressive CV containing two Super titles with Crusaders as manager and a further five as head coach; he was also assistant to John Mitchell when the All Blacks won 23 of their 28 tests between 2001 and 2003, culminating in probably the most impressive Tri-Nations clean sweep ever.

But it goes deeper than that, for he has already cut a profoundly impressive figure within Wallabies circles. He is clearly no egotist, and is secure enough in his own skin to bring with him only his video analyst and press officer from the Crusaders. He answers all questions with an almost disarming honesty.

There have been plenty of initiatives, such as inviting one player from each of nine surrounding schools to take part in the Wallabies' end-of-session game of tip rugby on Monday, and contacting Nick Farr-Jones to see if the 1991 World Cup-winning captain and scrumhalf would work with next Saturday's debutant scrumhalf, Luke Burgess.

"That's the first time I've been asked to work with any Australian halfback since I stopped playing," said Farr-Jones. "That open-mind policy is just so refreshing."

On officially confirming his first selection as Wallabies coach, Deans emphasised the collective and accentuated the positive.

His policy is clearly to make full use of his 30-man squad, with an understrength France due for two Tests later in the month prior to the six-match Tri-Nations.

The impressive Burgess and the Queensland winger Peter Hynes are the two debutants in a remodelled side for Saturday's Test in Melbourne's Telstra Dome (kick-off 8.05pm local, 11.05am Irish) when the Lansdowne Cup will be at stake.

There are two uncapped players on the bench, the Western Force centre Ryan Cross and the New South Wales lock Dean Mumm. Of the new caps, Deans said: "They'll be fine; they've shown they've got what it takes to thrive at this level and while this is a debut for them, it won't be their last. It'll be a starting point, as it is for us."

Hynes (25) has scored five tries in a struggling Reds team and in selecting him ahead of Adam Ashley-Cooper, Deans described him as a specialist winger in form.

"He's very excited about it," Deans answered in response to the notion of Hynes being tested by Ronan O'Gara. "He's looking forward to being under a high ball. Much more fun than sitting watching it."

Attempting to generate something "unique to us", of which he is seemingly just a cog, he said: "it's not about me, it's about the Wallabies, it's about us as a group."

While six of the starting line-up and all four forward replacements are from the Waratahs, the remainder won't have played a game in a month.

"Into a Test match - that's a big step, that's a big adjustment," said Deans, no doubt thinking particularly of his players have to readjust to the old laws.

Deans has opted to partner Matt Giteau with Burgess at half-back in place of the institution that was George Gregan and Stephen Larkham, after Giteau was played outside Barnes during last year's World Cup.

The Reds hooker Stephen Moore has been joined in a previously problematic front row alongside the New South Wales props Benn Robinson and Matt Dunning, with the latter on the tighthead side even though he was on the bench for the Waratahs in the Super 14 final.

Lock James Horwill continues the rapid rise that saw the 22-year-old lead the Reds in the Super 14, by being named alongside Nathan Sharpe in the engine room of the scrum.

"Saturday night is the starting point for us as a group. It is an opportunity we're all looking forward too," said Deans. "As they showed last weekend in Wellington, the Irish can be a difficult opponent to play, and they have historically troubled Australia."

Only six of the Australian line-up featured when the countries last met, in November 2006, when Ireland won 21-6 in Lansdowne Road, and two of those have moved positions.

Deans was "pretty impressed" with Ireland in Wellington, "particularly their physicality. They've developed some frames over the last few years, they're a group that's played a lot of rugby together, and in particular in their respective units of up front and out the back, so they bring with them a lot of mentality if you like.

"It's their last game before a break, so they're going to bring everything they've got, and they're going to throw everything at us, and they'll also be pretty frustrated that they weren't able to close that gate when it was possibly there to be done."

AUSTRALIA XV

15 Cameron Shepherd (Western Force)

14 Peter Hynes (Queensland Reds)

13 Stirling Mortlock (ACT Brumbies)

12 Berrick Barnes (Queensland Reds)

11 Lote Tuqiri (Waratahs)

10 Matt Giteau (Western Force)

9 Luke Burgess (Waratahs)

1 Benn Robinson (Waratahs)

2 Stephen Moore (Reds)

3 Matt Dunning (Waratahs)

4 James Horwill (Reds)

5 Nathan Sharpe (Western Force)

6 Rocky Elsom (Waratahs)

7 George Smith (Brumbies)

8 Wycliff Palu (Waratahs)

Replacements: Adam Freier, Al Baxter, Dean Mumm, Phil Waugh, Sam Cordingley, Ryan Cross, Adam Ashley-Cooper