SAMSON Lee announced himself on the Test scene by impressing against ‘the Beast’ in South Africa and the Wales prop expects tomorrow’s autumn opener against Australia to be just as brutal.

The 21-year-old Scarlets tighthead ousted his idol Adam James against the Springboks to go head-to-head with a formidable pack that contained experienced loosehead Tendai Mtawarira.

Tomorrow he makes his first start at the Millennium Stadium to face a Wallabies side that don’t have the same intimidating reputation as the Boks or All Blacks when it comes to the dark arts of the set piece.

But lining up opposite Lee will be Aussie loosehead James Slipper, who will win his 60th cap, and the Scarlets man knows he will have to be on top of his game.

“Australia aren’t known for their scrums but I am sure they will come at us there and it will be really physical,” he said.

“I’m ready for that and we have a really good scrummaging front row because both (hooker) Richard Hibbard and (loosehead) Paul James are world class forwards.

“I’ve played some big games over the past season or so and I am looking forward to the challenge.

“It was tough to go up against one of the best in ‘the Beast’ in South Africa and I don’t think that it will be any different against Australia. I expect a big test against James Slipper.

“The speed of the game will be fast but Australia will still be strong up front. It’s going to be really tough at the set piece and we have to grit our teeth and get stuck into them. The forwards need to put in a big performance.”

Lee earned the nod ahead of Scarlets teammate Rhodri Jones and Ospreys rival Aaron Jarvis but has not been slugging it out with legendary prop Jones.

The 100-times capped front row forward has instead been training with Cardiff Blues elsewhere at the Vale of Glamorgan complex but Lee knows the veteran is still a rival for the 3 jersey.

He said: “It’s a big vote of confidence in me to be selected ahead of Adam in the squad because he has been playing really well this year, so hopefully I will take my chance to become first choice.

“He has been the player that I’ve looked up to and gave me plenty of tips in previous Wales squads.

“Adam was the best in the world at one stage and that was because of his unbelievable scrummaging – that’s the tighthead’s first job and then they have to work hard around the field.

“I am hoping to improve around the park but that’s just a bonus, I need the scrum to keep going well.”