JOE ROFF replaces the greatest entertainer of the age at Edinburgh's Murrayfield today where Australia take on Scotland in the first international of their tour of Britain and Ireland.

Sentiment plays little part in Australian sport and the selectors have decided to omit 34-year-old David Campese, the world record try scorer, and play 21-year-old Roff on the right wing.

Campese could take the field in the first international to be played under the new rules allowing tactical substitutions, but the coaches on both teams say they do not intend to use this rule.

Both teams of analysts say they have chosen their best XVs and expect them to start and finish the job.

Clearly the Wallabies are now looking to the future and the 1999 World Cup in Wales.

"This Australian side is in the transitional stage but we have some wonderful backs, even though the selection decision was taken to leave out David Campese," said captain John Eales.

"Tim Horan and Joe Roff are brilliant finishers, while Pat Howard and Danny Herbert have been around for a long time."

Centre Howard echoed Eales's observations, commenting: "We are going through a transition period and building towards the next World Cup, so there is a huge amount of competition for a place."

Eales himself is a model of the new rugby union professional, a lock with the speed of a loose forward who can kick goals for good measure.

He leads a team who finished a clear third behind New Zealand and South Africa in the first Tri-Nations series this year and who have also been affected by injuries and appalling weather on the Scotland leg of their tour.

The Wallabies have also not been helped by remarks from Queensland coach John Connolly who has claimed there is a rift in the camp.

"There are a few people trying to destabilise the Wallaby camp," said coach Greg Smith.

"Generally, Australians are very supportive of the team but there are a few with access to the media who are not."

Smith said the best thing would be for Australia to win. "Then the critics will be quiet for a while and go back to wherever they have come from.

"If we lose, however, they will be out there throwing rocks at me and the team."

Scotland supplied some of the best rugby of an admittedly drab Five Nations' season this year due mainly to the enterprise and invention of Gregor Townsend at out-half.

Townsend, who will captain the side in the absence of the injured Rob Wainwright, has moved into the centre to allow Craig Chalmers to resume his partnership with scrum-half Gary Armstrong.

Townsend is hoping that his debut as leader will herald a return to the form the Scots showed in the early months of the year.

We played some excellent rugby in the first three games of the Five Nations Championship, but could not quite carry it through to the end," he said.

"We want to return to that sort of enterprising rugby, while building on the lessons we learnt during our defeats in New Zealand in the summer.

"The only way to play is to use all 15 players and exploit the freedom they get under the new laws.

"Gregor Townsend can be dynamite wherever he plays in mid-field for Scotland," Eales said.

"And we know that their half-backs, Craig Chalmers and Gary Armstrong, have the experience and skill to influence and win a tight test match."

. Hooker Federico Mendez, Argentina's first professional, has been included in the national side to meet South Africa in the first of two tests today in Buenos Aires.