Jones returns at fly-half in place of James Hook, who drops to the bench, while Thomas replaces Kevin Morgan at full-back and regains the captaincy.

Charvis is preferred in the back-row ahead of Alix Popham and packs down at blind-side flanker, with Jonathan Thomas switching to number eight.

The three senior players, who share 251 caps between them, came off the bench last weekend and helped turn the game as Wales hit back from 17-9 down to open their World Cup with a 42-17 win over Canada.

A victory for Wales would boost their chances of finishing top of Pool B and earning a quarter-final against struggling England rather than the dangerous South Africans.

Wales head into the match buoyed by home advantage and their recent record against Australia at the Millennium Stadium of a win in 2005 and draw last November.

Jenkins said: 'We have brought in three players who showed last weekend what experienced heads can do to a performance. They picked up the game by the scruff of the neck against Canada and were able to fashion a victory for us.

'Our team is evolving at the right time and we are very much looking forward to the challenge this weekend.

'This is arguably the game of the group and it is certainly the one that both sides will have targeted to win.

'This is a significant match for us in many ways. It's the most important match we have played during my tenure and probably the most important game a Welsh side has played for a long time.

'We have gone through practically every emotion possible in our last four meetings with them. We have beaten them and drawn with them in Cardiff, lost narrowly in Sydney and been put to the sword in Brisbane.

'But World Cup rugby pays no respect to history or to emotion. We have a considered and professional approach and we have selected a team to win this Test match.

'We must be focused, cold, hard and determined to do it. This squad has those qualities, together with the self-belief, talent and ability to achieve a significant victory on home soil in the greatest tournament in world rugby.'

Gethin Jenkins will win his 50th Test cap and moves to within one of Wales' most-capped prop Dai Young.