Wallabies back-rower Michael Hooper says Australia's recent habit of closing out tight games has given them the vital morale boost they need to topple Ireland.

Michael Cheika is confident the players who sat out the France match in Paris will get back into the swing of things "quick-smart" as they prepare for a difficult assignment against the in-form Ireland on Saturday.

The ACT Brumbies will use the Super Rugby pre-season to throw three rookies into a playmaker shootout.

The Western Force and the Brumbies will avoid the bean-counters' axe as the ARU's appetite wanes for cutting a Super Rugby team. But the let-off is going to cost them.

Australia have named their Wallaby XV squad to take on the French Barbarians at Bordeaux with former captain Ben Mowen one of the new faces in a team to be coached by Scott Wisemantel.

Wallabies halfback Will Genia says the weekend's 25-23 win over France was an even more special occasion than normal for it healed the wounds of a three-point loss in 2014.

Interim ACT Brumbies coach Dan McKellar says he will embrace the challenge of stepping up in Stephen Larkham's absence as the players begin a gruelling pre-season campaign.

When Tevita Kuridrani crossed for his "unbelievable" try in Australia's two-point win over France on Saturday, coach Michael Cheika and a number of other Wallabies thought they were watching an NRL game.

Michael Cheika has refuted suggestions from French media he deliberately played mind games by pulling Quade Cooper out at the last minute from Saturday's match at Stade de France.

France lacked the cohesion Francois Trinh-Duc would have given them, but for the second week in a row they proved they have some very good individuals capable of giving any team a fright. They are over the worst, and that makes the Wallabies' 25-23 win in Paris very good indeed.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika concedes his team were beaten at scrum-time by France and may have some things to tweak but says he was immensely proud of his troops after they hung on for a 25-23 win at Stade de France and kept their spring tour streak intact.

A breakdown of how each Australian player performed in the Wallabies' 25-23 win over France at Stade de France.

The Wallabies have once again prevailed in a nail-biter as they maintained their unblemished spring tour record with a 25-23 win over France at Stade de France.

New Zealand took revenge on a brave Irish side with a three-try 21-9 win in Dublin as the world champions put their first defeat by Ireland in a century behind them.

Italy claimed their first ever victory over South Africa, stunning the southern hemisphere giants 20-18 in Florence in what Springboks coach Allister Coetzee called the darkest moment of his career.

"As soon as my cast was off, I wanted to go to Fiji and I just rocked up and helped wherever I could."

The ACT Brumbies will turn to a group of fresh leaders to replace some of the biggest names in Australian rugby as they spread the load before determining who will be their new captain.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika is confident Quade Cooper will be fit to play against France despite not training this week as the Australian five-eighth prepares to undergo a late fitness test on the day of the match.

Props usually dread pre-season training, but Ben Alexander says he'll actually enjoy the Brumbies' preparations this year.