Boy wonder James O'Connor enjoyed a dream rugby Test debut as Australia opened their 2009 campaign with a 31-8 victory over Italy at Canberra Stadium on Saturday night.

Making his maiden Test start, 18-year-old O'Connor lived up to the hype with a tryscoring hat-trick as the Wallabies backed up their 55-7 drubbing of the star-studded Barbarians last Saturday night with another easy win.

With former Australian rugby league Test ace Craig Gower pulling the strings in his own international debut, the Azzurri offered some stern resistance for 50 or so minutes before the Wallabies' class eventually prevailed.

They finished with five tries, thanks largely to O'Connor and Matt Giteau, who had a hand in all of them to score a narrow points victory over Gower in their eagerly-awaited five-eighth duel.

O'Connor crossed for his first after just three-and-a-half minutes before striking again on the half hour and then in the 59th minute.

Giteau and skipper Stirling Mortlock scored Australia's other five-pointers either side of halftime in a match played in relatively balmy conditions after sub-zero temperatures had been forecast.

Canberra experienced their coldest June day in 43 years on Thursday as the mercury dipped to minus six degrees.

Although it was colder by the end of the match and snowing lightly afterwards, it was around eight degrees at kick-off time and O'Connor's dazzling man-of-the-match display was more than enough to warm the 22,468 fans.

O'Connor modestly deflected praise of his performance, paying tribute to Giteau for creating his chances.

"I think Gits is a bit cut - he's put me over for some pretty easy tries this year. I think I owe him one," the boom teenager said.

"I'm pretty stoked with that. I was just in the right place at the right time to get a few opportunities's tries." Mortlock felt it was a "solid effort" from the Wallabies.

"The combination and cohesion of the backline is really solid," he said.

"There were still a few dropped pills, but we're progressing."

Gower was booed when he missed a drop-goal attempt midway through the half but otherwise had a sound game despite copping some pretty sloppy service from his halfback.

The former NRL premiership winner and Kangaroos Test player threatened Australia's defence with a probing grubber kick early in the match and then set up Italy's only try just after halftime to narrow the Wallabies' lead to 17-8.

With Italy attacking the Wallabies line, Gower shrewdly swept into the Azzurri backline before putting New Zealand-born winger Kaine Robertson over with a lovely inside flick pass.

Italy's only other points came from a penalty goal to Townsville-born fullback Luke McLean.

Italy coach Nick Mallett was disappointed Gower didn't receive more help in attack.

"We wouldn't have come close to scoring without someone like that taking it to the line," he said of the former Penrith NRL captain.

"It was a lovely little switch with Kaine Robertson and it's just a pity we couldn't have given him more opportunities.

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