Emyr Lewis
Former Wales flanker on BBC Radio Cymru

Neither Wales nor Australia are playing well, but Wales haven't played well and are top of their group with maximum points.

We are the favourites without doubt but Wales have to be careful and at their best, with the forwards needing to get dominance up front.

Wales have improved significantly since Warren Gatland’s return as head coach, according to Australia scrum coach Neal Hatley.

Gatland is leading Wales in a fourth World Cup after returning as coach in December, 2022 following the departure of Wayne Pivac.

Ceri Coleman-Phillips
BBC Sport Wales at OL Stadium, Lyon

Wales players are out first for the warm-up, it's hard to tell who is who as I can almost touch the roof from the media desk!

But there's a warm reception from the fans that have got in early to feel the atmosphere build.

The stadium has a capacity of just under 60,000 and based on all the fans (from both sides) I've seen about town today, there's not likely to be an empty seat.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Chris Horsman
Former Wales coach on BBC Radio Wales

There's clarity with this Welsh team that's what Warren Gatland does, Wales know what they've got to go out and do.

All the pressure is on Australia.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Wallaby centre and two-time World Cup winner Tim Horan on this being Australia’s most important game in the professional era:

"It’s probably the biggest game for the Wallabies since the Rugby World Cup 2015 final. It could amount to bigger than that.

"Maybe it’s the biggest game in the professional era for Australian rugby because if you don’t make the quarter-finals for the first time in the Rugby World Cup, that is huge. The ramifications of not making a quarter-final are big.

"In the context of where rugby sits in Australia, the amount of tourists that are here supporting the Wallabies, the amount of people back home supporting the Wallabies, we need to win this game to make a quarter-final.

"We are always paddling for airtime in Australia with the other codes. For us, if you don’t get to a World Cup final, things are tough. So to not make a quarter-final is going to make the next two years, leading into a British and Irish Lions test series, tough to promote."

He added: "Tonight you will see something special from the Wallabies and hopefully we can move on.

"Welsh fans have been singing for the past two days so hopefully they sleep in."

Image source, Getty Images

Australia head coach Eddie Jones said: "The way the team's prepared and come together, I've got no doubt we'll win on Sunday.

"Every team has matches like this during a World Cup and for this young team it is this week. We've prepared well and we'll be ready to fight on Sunday night.

"But if we don't, sometimes you've got to do the work that allows you to be successful further down the track.

"If we beat Wales on Sunday we're alive and that's all we've got to be. We were always going to get this game at some stage, it's just come a little bit earlier than we thought it would.

"We've got an opportunity to show whether we can fight and grind out to get the result we need. I'm confident we can."

Read more: Jones has 'no doubt' Wallabies will win

Image source, Getty Images

Wales head coach Warren Gatland said: "We're happy with our position going into this game. There's a confidence among this group and we've had a good edge to training this week.

"Every game in the World Cup is tough, the stakes are high, and this will be no different. Australia have talented players and we know they will want to come out and put in a performance.

"Against Australia we know we have to take our chances and put them under as much pressure as possible. If we play the way we know we can and maintain that for 80 minutes, we will be a very hard team to beat.

"They're going to be desperate, we're desperate as well. I expect us to win on Sunday."

Things were hotting up in the fan zone in Lyon earlier, with supporters from both sides giving their predictions.

Image source, Getty Images

The big talking point at Australia's team announcement was the decision by head coach Eddie Jones to hand Ben Donaldson the keys to number ten for this crucial match.

Donaldson started the opening two World Cup games at full-back but switches to fly-half after Carter Gordon was taken off in the 22-15 defeat by Fiji.

Gordon is named as a replacement while Andrew Kellaway starts at full-back.

Squad vice-captain and scrum-half Tate McDermott returns, but hooker David Porecki is retained as captain.

There are three changes in personnel, with flanker Rob Leota starting instead of Fraser McReight and Tom Hooper switching to open-side.

And a big hand to prop James Slipper who plays in his 133rd Test. That's a lot of rugby.

Australia: Kellaway; Nawaqanitawase, Petaia, Kerevi, Koroibete; Donaldson, McDermott; Bell, Porecki (capt), Slipper, Frost, Arnold, Leota, T Hooper, Valetini.

Replacements: Faessler, Schoupp, Fa'amausili, Philip, McReight, White, Gordon, Vunivalu.

Image source, Get

Wales have reverted to the starting team that beat Fiji for their crunch World Cup match against Australia.

It appears none of the players who laboured to victory over Portugal last week did enough to force their way into the starting team - though that is hardly a surprise.

So Jac Morgan captains the side again, having played a full 80 minutes in the 32-26 win over Fiji and been called in as a last-minute replacement for Tommy Reffell against Portugal.

However, there is no place in the match squad for Morgan's co-captain and close friend Dewi Lake, with Ryan Elias starting at hooker and Elliot Dee preferred on the bench.

Adam Beard will win his 50th cap while prop Henry Thomas is set to make his tournament debut from the bench.

Head coach Warren Gatland said: "We gave players an opportunity against Portugal, but we just felt we were really happy with most of the performance against Fiji.

"For 65 minutes they did exactly what we asked of them and I don't think we got the credit we deserved for that performance. So the starting team gets another chance.

"Everyone wants to be involved and there were some disappointed players, which is exactly what we want with competition strong across the squad."

Wales: L Williams; Rees-Zammit, North, Tompkins, Adams; Biggar, G Davies; G Thomas, Elias, Francis, Rowlands, Beard, Wainwright, Morgan (capt), Faletau.

Replacements: Dee, Domachowski, H Thomas, D Jenkins, Basham, T Williams, Anscombe, Dyer.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Good evening and welcome to what is likely to be a defining match for Wales and Australia at this year's World Cup.

Ever since the draw was made - almost three years ago - this was the game that was circled on everyone's calendar.

Of course back then, it was two Kiwis in Wayne Pivac and Dave Rennie who thought they would be here leading these two nations.

Instead it is two of the canniest, wiliest and shrewdest operators in the business in Warren Gatland and Eddie Jones who lock horns once again.

We will take you through all the permutations of what various scenarios will mean but to keep things simple, if Wales win, they're through to the quarter-finals.

First things first, let's have a look at the team news.

Image source, Getty Images