Australian lock Nathan Sharpe has warned Wales to expect no mercy when the two sides clash in a crucial and highly-charged World Cup clash at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

The Wallabies got their campaign off to a flying start with a 91-3 demolition of Japan while Wales trailed Canada 17-9 before clinching a 42-17 win.

Wales will have the advantage of playing in Cardiff where they have spectacularly raised their game in the last two years beating the Australians 24-22 in 2005 before holding the visitors to a 29-29 draw last year.

Sharpe insists he knows where the Wallabies slipped up in those games.
"Just taking the foot off the throat, basically," he said.

"We started well in both years and let them back into the game through our own mistakes and probably a bit of a drop in intensity thinking we might have had the wood on them. I don't think you'll see that happen this weekend."

The winners of Saturday's match will be virtually certain of finishing top of Pool B and avoiding a likely clash against South Africa in the quarter-finals.

Top spot would probably mean a last eight clash against a below-par England instead.

"When we came together as a squad at the start of the year, this game, this weekend, was the one in the back of our minds," admitted Sharpe.

"It's a crucial game for us to win and we're treating it that way. We are looking forward to a physical confrontation, that's what we've been gearing up for.

"We're looking to dominate in the scrum and then add on to that around the rest of the park. It's going to be a very intense battle and one that we're very up for."

Both Sharpe and skipper Stephen Larkham said they are looking forward to the Millennium Stadium encounter although there is some dismay in the squad that the game is being played in Cardiff when France are the tournament hosts.

"I think they're very lucky to get a home game in a World Cup that's supposedly hosted in France," said Larkham who is looking forward to a third win over the Welsh since 2005.

"But we feel, across the board, that we know them individually a lot better now and I think that's going to hold us in good stead for the game on Saturday."

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