ROBIN McBryde says Wales face plenty of toil on the training paddock as they attempt to avoid being caught cold by Australia.

The Wallabies have an advantage in that they head into the autumn opener at the Millennium Stadium on the back of the Rugby Championship, an extra Test with New Zealand and Saturday's encounter with the Barbarians at Twickenham.

Australia will be looking forward to the rugby after a month of off-field controversy courtesy of the Di Patston-Kurtley Beale text message saga and Ewen McKenzie's decision to quit as boss.

But Wales forwards coach McBryde expects the same old Aussies when they turn up in Cardiff looking to extend their nine-match winning streak against Warren Gatland's team.

He said: "We know it's going to be a big test. Australia have been backed into a corner and that's only going to bring them closer together.

"They have performed pretty well to date (in the Rugby Championship) and every encounter against Australia is a tough, hard-fought contest.

"We are going to have to improve on what we can deliver in the first 20 to 30 minutes and make sure we last the full 80.

"We are going to work the players hard to get them up to speed so that we can match the intensity that is going to come in the first exchanges against Australia."

Wales' last game was June's agonising 31-30 loss to South Africa in Nelspruit but they are bolstered by the returns of captain Sam Warburton, hooker Richard Hibbard and full-back Leigh Halfpenny.

"It's important that we put in a good performance and build on that last performance against the Springboks back in June when we pushed them close," said McBryde.

"We've focused on a few passages of play that we felt we could've done a lot better and players have been honest about their own performances."

McBryde was speaking as the Welsh Rugby Union announced a new deal with equipment suppliers Rhino that will last until 2018.