WALES coach Steve Hansen has taken an almighty swipe at the critics who he believes are bidding to undermine the challenge of his young Wales side.

As the tour party completed preparations for tomorrow's Test against Australia in Sydney, Hansen blasted the legacy that recent Welsh sides have left behind.

And the Kiwi-born coach, who has spent the past six months trying to allay the fears of the nation and those of his beleaguered players, called on Welsh rugby's growing band of critics to lay off his current crop of stars.

After seven successive defeats, Hansen's Class of 2003 are not expected to provide anything but cannon fodder for the world champion Wallabies at the Telstra Stadium tomorrow evening. But Hansen is determined to prove the doubters wrong.

"It is very tough at the moment for these boys because they are constantly being criticised, said Hansen.

"What bothers me is that the people who are dishing out this rubbish are the very people who have put us in this position in the first place.

"Poor records and poor administration has left us to work in a poor environment while the selfishness of those who have been involved in recent years prevents us from moving on.

"I am glad to say that with the arrival of David Moffett, we have seen some major moves taken. I only hope that we can move on and give these people something better to talk about."

The run of defeats, dating back to November when the All Blacks won in Cardiff, and the pay dispute that brought shame on the nation two weeks ago, has supposedly driven a wedge through the squad.

However, in front of a packed press conference at the team's headquarters in Darling Harbour, Hansen refuted those claims and said: "When you are continually flogged for performing badly, you become tight and that is what has happened here. We are a tight bunch trying to pull Welsh rugby out of the quagmire.

"Hopefully we can perform well and take the next step in our development."

A Test against the Wallabies in front of more than 70,000 at the Olympic arena is hardly the kind of stick against which you would choose to be measured after seven successive defeats.

However, Hansen is keen to judge his side against the best and sees tomorrow's game as the perfect opportunity to do that.

Furthermore, opposite number Eddie Jones believes Wales are not as far behind the rest as some suggest.

Faint praise it may be, from the master of mind games, but Jones is a firm believer in Steve Hansen and Scott Johnson and believes that they, along with a collective push from the players, might just guide Wales from its current position near the foot of world rugby's top division.

Hansen said: "Those are nice words from Eddie, but we have to prove that on a consistent basis."

Wales have made six changes, four positional, from the side beaten by the Barbarians at the end of May with Jonathan Thomas the surprise selection in the back row.

Thomas was elevated to the national squad when Gareth Delve was forced to pull out of the tour with a dislocated shoulder. However, after impressing Hansen and Johnson over the past 10 days, he will win his first cap.

He said, "It is a great honour and I am thoroughly looking forward to it. Of course there are a few nerves, but it's more a case of nervous excitement.

"As a boy you dream of pulling on the Wales jersey so when the times comes I will be very proud. I only hope that I can repay some of the faith shown in me."

Elsewhere in the side, there are recalls for Jamie Robinson, Robert Sidoli, Gethin Jenkins, Gareth Cooper and Tom Shanklin while Martyn Williams leads the side from the openside flank.

The Wallabies will start as red-hot favourites after their second half demolition of Ireland in Perth last Saturday.

However, there is a genuine feel about the Welsh side around the team hotel and with precious little to lose, they might just prove a tougher nut to crack than many believe.

"We are going out there with the attitude of beating Australia, just as we always have done in the past. They are not unbeatable. We must face up to the challenge and make sure that we perform to the very best of our ability. If we do, we can come off with heads held high," said Williams.