Uruguay will get a good measure of their progress over the last four years after naming a seasoned team to face the Wallabies at the Rugby World Cup in Oita.

There are six starting survivors from the team well beaten 65-3 in Birmingham at the 2015 tournament while Australia only have fullback Kurtley Beale and inside centre Matt To’omua returning from their run-on side.

The Wallabies have insisted all week that Los Teros have made big strides in that period.

Prop James Slipper said Uruguay’s 30-27 first-up upset of Fiji was evidence of how far they’ve come.

“I think they’ve improved all over the game,” he said.

“From the backs and their attacking shape, they’re a team that likes to hold onto the ball and apply pressure to defences so we’re definitely respecting them and what they can do.”

Uruguay returned to earth with a thump when beaten 33-7 by Georgia and coach Esteban Meneses has reacted by replacing nine starting players – the biggest overhaul between games in their four World Cup campaigns.

Among those dropped is captain Juan Manuel Gaminara, the back rower who captured global attention with his teary interview straight after the upset of Fiji.

The captaincy is claimed by Andres Vilaseca, the inside centre one of six players poised to make a third successive start at the tournament.

The others are hooker German Kessler, lock Manuel Leindekar, five-eighth Felipe Berchesi and outside backs Rodrigo Silva and Nicolas Freitas.

Brothers Agustin and Juan Diego Ormaechea start at halfback and flanker respectively.

They are the sons of Diego Ormaechea, the former captain and No.8 who is the oldest ever World Cup player, having represented Uruguay when aged 40 at the 1999 tournament.

Meanwhile, there may be time for a late selection shuffle after Los Teros hooker Facundo Gattas announced he would appeal his three-week suspension for a dangerous tackle against Georgia, which earned him a red card.

The appeal is on Friday.

URUGUAY: Rodrigo Silva, Federico Favaro, Tomas Inciarte, Andres Vilaseca (capt), Nicolas Freitas, Felipe Berchesi, Agustin Ormaechea, Manuel Diana, Juan Diego Ormaechea, Manuel Ardao, Manel Leindekar, Franco Lamanna, Diego Arbelo, German Kessler, Juan Echeverria. Res: Guillermo Pujadas, Joaquin Jaunsolo, Juan Pedro Rombys, Ignacio Dotti, Juan Manuel Gaminara, Santiago Arata, Felipe Etcheverry, Agustin Della Corte.