RUGBY:A YEAR ago it was about hoof, but the obsession in Cardiff this week has been the roof of the Millennium Stadium which has been open to the Welsh autumnal rain.

It prompted Australia to squelch their way to the valleys on Thursday for a training session in the wind and wet.

Since taking charge in 2007, Wales coach Warren Gatland has favoured using the stadium’s hydraulic apparatus to encourage his side’s expansive style.

But he has been more pragmatic in the build-up for an encounter with a side that has the sharpest back division in the world game.

Having kept the Wallabies waiting all week, Wales declared yesterday that the roof would remain open.

“The reason we are doing it is because we want to get used to the conditions we will face in the World Cup in New Zealand,” said Wales assistant coach Rob Howley. “That is the bigger picture for us.”

It may be Wales’ only victory this week. Gatland has not tasted success over a side ranked in the world’s top five since November 2008 when the men in red defeated the Wallabies in Cardiff.

Even though he last month signed a new contract until 2015, he is aware he needs to check a poor sequence of results since starting his reign with a grand slam.

Wales usually regard Australia as the most vulnerable of the major Southern Hemisphere countries: they defeated the Wallabies in 2005 and 2008, drawing in-between.

Their record against New Zealand and South Africa is dismal and Gatland would prefer the fixtures this month to have fallen differently so his players could have gone into the encounter against Australia battle-hardened.

Wales have not played for five months and Gatland has used training sessions to simulate a Test match, making players wear weighted vests to force them to work harder, conscious that Wales customarily start their autumn campaigns slowly and that Australia are high on confidence after defeating New Zealand last week.

Gatland has been hampered by injuries. His backline is shorn of Lee Byrne, Leigh Halfpenny, Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies, not to mention Gavin Henson, and Wales are solid at 10, 12, 13 where Australia are spectacular.

Their playmaker, James Hook, has to fill in at fullback and his influence is likely to be diluted.

Wales like to portray themselves as the most attacking team in the Six Nations competition, but they will use England as their template today having picked a backrow to counter the pick-pocketing David Pocock at the breakdown and supplement a tight five that includes five Lions from last year.

Gatland has also goaded his scrumhalf, Mike Phillips, who has made a muted start to the season, by pointing out that his place is under threat.

Phillips, along with Bradley Davies and Dan Lydiate, will be used to charge down the channel occupied by Australia outhalf Quade Cooper, who is not renowned for his tackling.

Wales see Cooper as Australia’s weather vane: make his outlook foggy and the Wallabies will lose their way.

“I enjoy being a target for opponents,” said Cooper. “Everyone talks about me, but we are a team and everyone contributes.”

Cooper’s scheming makes Australia dangerous from anywhere on the field, but the Australia coach, Robbie Deans, is aware that the tag of predictable does not apply just to a side that has no ambition.

“It is about varying your game and finding a way to win,” he said. “Quade is well aware that he is not the complete package. He has been working hard to get the balance right in his rugby because we cannot come to be seen as one-dimensional.”

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

Assistant referees: Chris Pollock (New Zealand) and Peter Allan (Scotland)

Wales

(Ospreys) James Hook

(Newport Gwent Dragons) Will Harries

(Cardiff Blues) Tom Shanklin

(Ospreys) Andrew Bishop

(Ospreys) Shane Williams

(Scarlets) Stephen Jones

(Ospreys) Mike Phillips

(Cardiff Blues) Gethin Jenkins

(Scarlets, capt) Matthew Rees

(Ospreys) Adam Rhys-Jones

(Cardiff Blues) Bradley Davies

(Ospreys) Alun Wyn-Jones

(Newport Gwent Dragons) Dan Lydiate

(Cardiff Blues) Sam Warburton

(Ospreys) Jonathan Thomas

Replacements: 16 H Bennett (Ospreys), 17 P James (Ospreys), 18 D Jones (Cardiff Blues), 19 M Williams (Cardiff Blues), 20 R Rees (Cardiff Blues), 21 D Biggar (Ospreys), 22 C Czekaj (Cardiff Blues)

Australia

Kurtley Beale (NSW Waratahs)

James OConnor (Western Force)

Adam Ashley-Cooper (Brumbies)

Matt Giteau (Brumbies)

Drew Mitchell (NSW Waratahs)

Quade Cooper (Queensland Reds)

Will Genia (Queensland Reds)

Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs)

Stephen Moore (Brumbies)

Ben Alexander (Brumbies)

Mark Chisholm (Brumbies)

Nathan Sharpe (Western Force)

Rocky Elsom (Brumbies, capt)

David Pocock (Western Force)

Ben McCalman (Western Force)

Replacements: 16 S Faingaa (Queensland), 17 J Slipper (Queensland), 18 D Mumm (Waratahs), 19 R Brown (Western Force), 20 L Burgess (Waratahs), 21 B Barnes (Waratahs), 22 L Turner (Waratahs)

Venue: Millennium Stadium

Kick-off: 2.30pm Today