Physical examination

Pool A/Australia v Romania (Saturday 7.30): Few things annoy a rugby coach, particularly a former hooker like Eddie Jones, as much as having his team's forward prowess questioned.

Against Romania in Brisbane tomorrow (kick-off: 7.30 a.m.) he expects his Australia players to show again they have the goods to win physical matches.

The Wallaby pack were unexpectedly dominant in defusing Argentina's vaunted power game, and Jones expects the Romanians to provide a similar style of forward-dominated play.

"People are underestimating Romania, but they're a very physical side and they really took it to Ireland last week," Jones said yesterday. "Certainly it's going to be a strong physical workout early and then we'd like to get some fluency in our game.

"We had a tough game first up against a top-seven side in the world, we've got two games now where we can hopefully find a bit of fluency before we build up to the top-three sides."

Jones has named a full-strength team to face the Oaks, although he admitted to having one eye on the Ireland game on November 1st - a match which will hopefully be the decider for who wins the group.

"We need to be at our best against Ireland. That's our most immediate challenge," he said.

The only absentees from what would probably be his ideal line-up are full back Chris Latham and lock David Giffin.

Latham missed the opening game against Argentina because of illness, while the head and shoulder injuries Giffin sustained in a fall against the Pumas are healing well. Latham was fit to face Romania, but Jones has opted to stick with Mat Rogers.

Romanian coach Bernard Charreyre has one injury problem of his own, but has selected an otherwise full-strength team.

Biarritz prop Petru Balan, a veteran of the 1999 World Cup, will miss the match because of an ankle injury and has been replaced by 23-year-old Petrisor Toderasc.

"It's the best team apart from the injury to Petru Balan, who was injured against Ireland," said Charreyre. "We will do everything possible to bring him back to the team. It's all about when he's ready to play again for Romania," he said.

"Only the doctors can tell - up to this stage we don't know when he'll be back in the team. The doctor is not a magician."