The Wallabies caused a minor surprise when playing their opening hand for the test series by picking Nathan Grey above Elton Flatley at inside centre in an otherwise predictable selection.

Judging by their respective performances for Australia A and Queensland against the Lions, Grey is in far better nick anyhow though the spin-off of this decision is that winger Andrew Walker will be first-choice goal kicker in his first test start.

Flatley, though hard to credit on his lightweight kicking effort against the Lions, was Australia's leading place-kicker in the Super 12s with an accuracy rate of 85% and had been expected to play at inside centre.

However, Grey was much more impressive in the position for Australia A and a pointer toward his elevation came by way of his withdrawal from the New South Wales squad for last Saturday's game against the Lions.

Were Walker to contract the yips, then Rod Macqueen still has a few options, such as Flatley on the bench as well as a certain Matt Burke who, it is safe to say, might just get into the Lions back three were he available, while there's also John Eales to call upon if needs be.

"We've probably never been better off as far as choice of goal kickers is concerned," reckoned Macqueen yesterday, "but certainly at this stage we'll have Walker starting off with the goal kicking and then we'll see how we go from there.

But for a switch to rugby league Walker would assuredly have many more caps to his name, but 27-year-old aborigine winger showed his natural flair for the union game on his return to the code last season, scoring two tries on his ACT debut and finishing the Super 12 campaign as the leading try scorer with 13.

His try against the New Zealand Maoris had to be seen to be believed.

Short goalkicker Stirling Mortlock and Ben Tune, it's still a tasty looking Wallaby back line.