Wales boss Warren Gatland wants his players to handle the expectation when they target a major southern hemisphere scalp on Saturday.

The Millennium Stadium clash against Australia is Wales' seventh appointment with Tri-Nations opposition in 22 Tests since New Zealander Gatland took charge two years ago.

But having beaten the Wallabies last season, and with Australia arriving in Cardiff following a shock 9-8 loss to Scotland, those combined factors have made Wales favourites.

"One of the challenges for us is possibly accepting what might be a tag of favourites," said Gatland.

"The current coaching regime has something like a 66% (overall) success rate, and we have played against more southern hemisphere teams than any other Welsh regime.

"We haven't been good enough on two occasions to beat the All Blacks, but we've played South Africa three times, and on two of those three occasions we had chances to win.

"The next progression for the side is going in, handling that expectation and developing as a team.

"Knowing the Australian attitude - it doesn't matter whether it is rugby union, cricket, rugby league, whatever - when their backs are to the wall, they tend to respond.

"We expect them to play with a lot of passion."

Gatland has made a solitary change to the team that beat Argentina 33-16 last Saturday, recalling Sale Sharks scrum-half Dwayne Peel instead of Gareth Cooper.

Gatland's selection means that nine players - James Hook, Leigh Halfpenny, Jamie Roberts, Gethin Jenkins, Paul James, Alun-Wyn Jones, Luke Charteris, Andy Powell and skipper Ryan Jones - will have started all four of Wales' autumn Tests.

Scarlets scrum-half Martin Roberts will provide bench cover for Peel, but Blues centre Tom Shanklin fails to gain a place in the match-day 22.

Shanklin missed the Argentina game due to a broken nose suffered against Samoa eight days earlier, yet dpite him regaining full fitness, Scarlets back Jonathan Davies retains a midfield berth alongside Roberts.

"We haven't got a lot of options behind Tom," added Gatland.

"It was a young centre combination last week that went okay, and we just felt we wanted them to have another chance this weekend.

"It's also important if you pick up injuries going forward that we need some alternatives."

Gatland fields nine of the side that accounted for Australia 21-18 last November, while the Wallabies' planned successful grand slam tour has already unravelled.

They had high high hopes of beating England, Ireland, Scotland and finally Wales, but their solitary success so far has been an 18-9 verdict at Twickenham.

Gatland, though, is refusing to read too much into the dramatic events of Murrayfield three days ago, when Wallabies fly-half Matt Giteau missed an injury-time conversion attempt that would have won the match.

"Australia should not have lost - they created so many opportunities," said Gatland.

"It was a great win for Scotland, and you have got to congratulate them, but if that game was played 99 times out of 100 and Australia took their chances, they would have won.

"As a team, Australia have been quite unlucky. They could easily have been playing for a grand slam this weekend.

"My experience of Australian teams in the past is when they are in this situation and taken a bit of criticism, there is normally only one way they come out - with all guns blazing.

"Out of the Tri-Nations teams, they are the ones that have played the most rugby. They have a very young, developing side with a lot of potential.

"The test for us is to continue with our progression on Saturday, and be smart in the way we play."

Wales will also look to retain their scoring touch, having crossed for three tries against Argentina, but Gatland concedes it will not be easy.

Neither England nor Scotland managed to breach Australia's defence, and Gatland admitted: "The modern game at the moment is so dominated by defences.

"You only have to look at the All Blacks - they haven't conceded a try in three games, but they have only scored three tries themselves.

"Traditionally, they are one of the best sides in the world that are pretty clinical at scoring tries, and that just shows you how much defences are dominating."