Rugby takes its next step into the brave new world that is the United States, with the Eagles hosting Australia in Chicago 10 months after the All Blacks romped home with 12 tries at Soldier Field. This match is about more than the result, however, with players from both teams looking to lay down markers for inclusion in the respective starting XVs at the Rugby World Cup. Only Blind Freddie and the Optimists will envisage anything but a comfortable victory for the Wallabies, but that obvious expectation ignores the fact that coach Michael Cheika has named a largely experimental side as he continues to sift combinations; it also ignores the fact that Cheika has been flogging his charges in "full-on" training sessions, with Drew Mitchell and Matt Giteau telling ESPN exclusively that the coach "has been running things at a really high tempo … it is certainly having a positive impact on our fitness.

Team news

Michael Cheika named a team without Israel Folau, Michael Hooper and David Pocock, while including Sam Carter, James Hanson and Taqele Naiyaravoro after that trio were omitted from the Rugby World Cup squad. He's also named a new second-row combination of Kane Douglas and Rob Simmons, which Greg Growden believes could become the No.1 lock pairing if they perform, and an all new back-row featuring No.8 Ben McCalman at blindside, Sean McMahon at 7 and Wycliff Palu at 8. Waratahs halves Nick Phipps and Bernard Foley are given an opportunity to regain confidence, while powerhouse winger Henry Speight runs at outside centre to see if he is a viable alternative to Tevita Kuridrani and Adam Ashley-Cooper.

The hosts, meanwhile, have named something akin to their strongest line-up - although 12 of the starters ran on against the Quins last week. Captain Chris Wyles returns to the wing with the team otherwise featuring Toulon's Samu Manoa, Cardiff Blues' Blaine Scully and Saracens prop Titi Lamositele. Australian-born former Waratahs and North Harbour Rays lock Greg Peterson will also be looking to make an impression against his former countrymen.

Henry Speight will look to make hay with his powerful running at outside channel © Alyssa Schukar for ESPN

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Key head-to-head

The Wallabies simply failed to turn up in their previous game, against New Zealand, with Michael Cheika having changed his team from that which had defeated the All Blacks just a week before. It's all change again, with a view to the Rugby World Cup, and the key aspect of the game is likely to be the battle between the second-rows; Kane Douglas is likely to have a remit of hitting rucks and hurting people as he makes his first start since back surgery, and he and Rob Simmons can go a way towards cementing themselves as Cheika's first-choice second-row. Away from that battle against Cameron Dolan and Australian-born Greg Peterson, Eagles back-rower Samu Manoa will want to confirm himself among the world's best eightmen against the Wallabies' Wycliff Palu - who normally can be relied up to star against lower-level opposition.

Key stats

• Australia have won all seven previous Tests against the Eagles, including a 67-5 mauling in Wellington at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Not since 1976, when the sides last faced each other Stateside, have the Wallabies failed to win by 35 points or more.
• The Wallabies have posted 55 tries to five in their seven victories against the Eagles.
• Seven starting Wallabies players in Chicago - Kurtley Beale, Rob Horne, James Slipper, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Rob Simmons, Ben McCalman and Wycliff Palu - ran on against the Eagles in Wellington four years ago, when replacement half-back Will Genia captained the team. Blaine Scully and Eric Fry started for the Eagles in Wellington, while Mike Petri and Chris Wyles featured from the pine.

Weather

It looks set to be a hot and wet: with 32C (90F), cloud and thunderstorms forecast.

Prediction

The Wallabies will win, the only point of conjecture concerning the margin given the Eagles have lost three of their six matches this year - including a five-point defeat by English club side Harlequins in Philadelphia last week. Will it be the 68-point humping produced by the All Blacks? That depends to an extent on the physical toll exacted by a tough week on the training paddock, and on the ability of "the finishers" off the bench. The Wallabies will love to match the performance of their rivals across the Tasman, but we think they'll settle for a 40-point margin - especially given the weather forecast.