Wales go into the game at Principality Stadium on the back of last week’s 21-10 win over Scotland, but Jones warns that the Wallabies’ playing style will pose a different sort of threat.
“They’re a side that can attack from anywhere with the calibre of players they have. There’s individuals that can spark a bit of brilliance married up with a very good pack. They always come and pose a threat and it’s going to be no different at the weekend.
“There is an abrasive side to Australia that we need to counteract. All the Southern Hemisphere teams have it. They’ve got plenty of poachers, particularly in the back row, which we need to combat.”
Jones is the only survivor from the side that last beat the Wallabies in 2008, where Wales survived a late fight back to claim a 21-18 victory, and says momentum will be the key this time around.
“If they get an early score then we’ll be chasing the game, particularly when a team plays the way they do and has the attacking ability that they have. You just don’t want to get into that hole early on because in international rugby it’s very hard to get out of. So if we start well and stay switched on, we’ll stay in the game.”
Warren Gatland has called Tomas Francis, Adam Beard and Josh Adams into starting XV from the side that beat Scotland. British & Irish Lions representatives Dan Biggar and Liam Williams are included on the bench, and Jones insists that those kind of players will have a big impact.
“Warren has made a point to a few of the boys about the calibre we have on the bench. Strength in depth is a beautiful thing that every team searches for so it’s great to have it. It’s pleasing on the back of the summer where there were opportunities for players to come into the squad, and they all added something different. So they’re all chomping at the bit to get on this weekend.
“They’ve all been performing for their club teams week-in-week-out and it’s a big step up to international level, but there’s a lot of guys with a lot of confidence and that’s something you simply can’t train.”
