Australia have rushed Wycliff Palu into their starting line-up for Saturday's Bledisloe Cup opener against New Zealand.

Palu missed the opening four matches of the campaign with a broken hand suffered in the Waratahs' season-ending tour of South Africa in May.

His two appearances for Manly in the Sydney club competition were enough to convince the coach he is ready for the Wallabies' biggest assignment of the campaign.

The 26-year-old's inclusion sees Richard Brown shift to blindside flanker with Dean Mumm relegated to the bench.

In the only other change to the bench, Will Genia replaces Josh Valentine as Luke Burgess' deputy, while Ryan Cross drops out of the 22 to accommodate Mumm's move to the bench.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said the selection represented the strongest combination available for the daunting trip to New Zealand.

"We have made good progress, and the relative consistency of our selection reflects that, but no one is getting ahead of themselves. Playing New Zealand at Eden Park is going to be a major step up on what we have faced so far," he said.

"You only have to look at the history - in terms of the All Blacks' outstanding record at Eden Park - and their current circumstance, to appreciate the size of the task that is in front of us."

Deans also paid special tribute to George Smith, who has been named to play his 100th Test match on the same day as he celebrates his 29th birthday.

"It's an outstanding achievement," Deans said of his openside flanker.

"Hopefully we can do the occasion justice as a team."