Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has demanded a sharpened kicking game, better first-up tackling and improved discipline for the World Cup champions to topple the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium.
Nienaber is also well aware his team has to beat history as well on Saturday afternoon from 5.05pm (AEST) because South African sides have won just three times from 15 Tests in Brisbane since 1956.
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Minimal changes have been made to the Boks side because Nienaber is certain that tidying up ragged areas can flip the result after last Sunday’s 28-26 loss on the Gold Coast.
Marvin Orie comes in at lock as a forced change for Lood de Jager (concussion) while World-Cup-winning prop Trevor Nyakane is in for Steven Kitshoff.
Red-head Kitshoff will be a finisher because he takes over from Ox Nche on the bench.
“Australia were desperate to win last weekend and it showed in the way they played,” Nienaber said.
“There is no doubt the result would have given them confidence so we are expecting them to deliver a similarly driven performance this week.
“That said, we know what we are capable of as a team, and we created sufficient opportunities to win last week but we didn’t capitalise on them.”
Nienaber indicated frustration with outscoring the Wallabies three tries-to-one in the loss at Cbus Super Stadium.
“I thought our discipline was poor and our kicking game wasn’t where it should have been. We only conceded one try but of the penalties we conceded four were for offside which is the most since I’ve been involved,” Nienaber said.
“It’s not that we weren’t under pressure at times but some of those offside penalties were not called for (from us).”
Nienaber indicated a pre-game meeting with English referee Matthew Carley would aim to “get clarity and alignment” on how the game would be officiated.
Nienaber said he was unsurprised by Quade Cooper’s strong comeback game for the Wallabies when applauding his “mature” display.
The Wallabies produced two huge scrums at the end of each half. Cooper collected three points when the Wallabies buckled the visitors on South Africa’s put-in on half-time. The shunt on full-time created the untidy situation where halfback Nic White could force the penalty for Cooper’s dream-making final kick.
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Nyakane admitted the South African forwards had taken those two key scrum moments personally.
“Yes, definitely. It hurts for us as a pack because we always want to be dominant,” the 48-Test prop said.
“It’s deep in our hearts and in the back of our heads. We know we have to be ready because they’ll come harder this Saturday.”
Missing 21 tackles was an indicator of the stress the Wallabies’ attack was able to put the South Africans under even though only one try was scored.
Springbok team (v Australia at the Suncorp Stadium)
15 – Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 67 caps, 60 pts (12t)
14 – Sbu Nkosi (Sharks) – 13 caps, 40 pts (8t)
13 – Lukhanyo Am (Sharks) – 20 caps, 20 pts (4t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Munster) – 52 caps, 30 pts (6t)
11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks) – 19 caps, 80 pts (16t)
10 – Handré Pollard (v-capt, Montpellier) – 54 caps, 532 pts (6t, 83c, 108p, 4d)
9 – Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks) – 33 caps, 25 pts (5t)
8 – Duane Vermeulen (Bulls) – 55 caps, 15 pts (3t)
7 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 45 caps, 5pts (1t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (capt, Sharks) – 57 caps, 30 pts (6t)
5 –Marvin Orie (Stormers) – 6 caps, 0 pts
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Toulon) – 91 caps, 15 pts (3t)
3 – Frans Malherbe (Stormers) – 44 caps, 5 pts (1t)
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Stormers) – 42 caps, 45 pts (9t)
1 – Trevor Nyakane (Bulls) – 48 caps, 5pts (1t)
Replacements:
16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 40 caps, 45 pts (9t)
17 – Steven Kitshoff (Stormers) – 53 caps, 5pts (1t)
18 – Vincent Koch (Saracens) – 25 caps, 0 pts
19 – Marco van Staden (Leicester Tigers) – 7 caps, 0 pts
20 – Kwagga Smith (Yamaha Jubilo) – 13 caps, 5 pts (1t)
21 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 6 caps, 0 pts
22 – Herschel Jantjies (Stormers) – 15 caps, 25 pts (5t)
23 – Damian Willemse (Stormers) – 13 caps, 5pts (1t)
