Rugby: Wallabies seek World Cup edge in Wales

Second-rower Sam Carter thinks the Wallabies are playing well. Photo / AP

Based on recent history, new coach Michael Cheika could hardly have hoped for a better opponent than Wales in his first test assignment as Wallabies coach.

Australia head into Sunday's match at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium looking to extend a winning streak that spans nine test matches and almost five years.

Getting the job done again this week would ensure the Wallabies take a significant mental advantage into next year's World Cup, where the sides will face off in what will likely prove a crucial final match of the group stage.

Wales are looking to end a miserable run of results against all three Southern Hemisphere heavyweights over the coming month.

Despite winning three Six Nations titles since Warren Gatland took over as coach, they have not beaten the All Blacks for 61 years and their last win against South Africa came in 1999.

Australia's past four wins over Wales have come by four points or less and Welsh assistant coach Neil Jenkins is confident his side's luck has to turn.

"We have been incredibly close a number of times and for some unknown reason we cannot quite get over the line," Jenkins said. "There was the game in Cardiff where Kurtley Beale scored in the last minute [November, 2012], there were the tests in Melbourne and Sydney [2012] and last year's game was pretty close too, as was the [2011] World Cup game.

Cheika and the Australian squad headed for Cardiff buoyed by a decent showing in an entertaining 40-36 win over the Barbarians at Twickenham last weekend.

The win provided some positive news for Australian rugby following a controversial month and lock Sam Carter said the Wallabies would head to Wales in high spirits.

"There's a lot of things we did well [against the Barbarians] and a lot of things we can work on over the next four weeks," he said.

No8 Scott Higginbotham's future on tour will be decided in Cardiff due to a hamstring injury.

- AAP