Alan Jones will return to rugby union coaching after a 30-year absence to lead the Barbarians against the Wallabies later in the year.
Jones, who coached the Wallabies to the grand slam in 1984 before winning the Bledisloe Cup in 1986, will go head-to-head with Wallabies mentor Michael Cheika at Allianz Stadium on October 28.
Another match will be played in NSW before Australia embark on their Spring Tour, which kicks off in November against Japan.
Jones said the Barbarians will continue their tradition of playing entertaining rugby in the two-match series.
"We don't want the public coming in the gate for something that is going to be a hit and giggle," the broadcaster told News Corp Australia.
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"We are going to invite players to play and we want them to understand from our point of view and the tradition of the Barbarians, it is a very significant game."
Jones has been a strident critic of the ARU this year, calling for chief executive Bill Pulver to step down.
But his appointment is set to add interest in the Wallabies-Barbarians series, boosting the ailing code.
"The Wallabies and Barbarians have a history dating back to our first ever clash in 1948 and have often delivered some incredibly entertaining, high-scoring encounters," Pulver said.
Their last meeting was a high-scoring contest at Twickenham in 2014, won 40-36 by the Wallabies.
"The last time we played the Wallabies it was a superb encounter and we will be scouring the globe for the best available talent for our matches in Australia this year," Barbarians president Micky Steele-Bodger said.
"We will invite players who uphold our values on and off the field and look forward to being involved in two exciting and entertaining matches."
