Wallabies to 'get physical' with Boks
The Wallabies, who are looking for a first-ever win in Pretoria, are determined to combat the Springboks' physicality and kicking game.
Wallabies inside centre Bernard Foley believes that fighting fire with fire is the only way to counter the bruising South Africans.
"The Springboks are always very physical," Foley told a media briefing at the team's training base in Johannesburg.
"They are set-piece orientated and I think that's where we will have to match them and try to outplay them up-front.
"We must set a platform that will allow our backs to play.
"Also, at altitude a kicking game is vital and that's something that we will talk about throughout the week.
"Hopefully we will have a game plan in place and nullify the South African threats," Foley added.
The Wallaby utility back, Foley, believes that the Springboks will raise their game in front of a passionate Loftus crowd when the two teams do battle in Round Five of the Rugby Championship.
The Springboks have lost their last three matches – against Argentina, Australia and New Zealand – in this year's Rugby Championship.
However, Foley insists that South Africa will not go down without a fight on their home ground.
"The Springboks have probably not done as well as they would have liked, but I'm sure they doing everything to try and rectify that," he said.
"We can't come here and think that they haven't done well in the last couple of games, because I'm sure at home they going to be a totally different beast," Foley added.
Foley said even though Australia have a dismal record against the Springboks in Pretoria – having never won a Test at Loftus – the current generation of Wallabies, some of them who are playing their very first game in South Africa, will be looking to set the record straight.
"There's a lot of guys in the squad who are playing their first couple of games away from home, so for us it's building combinations, building that consistency, keep improving in every way we can.
"I think it's a great time for us [the Wallabies to get the win] and a great challenge.
"A lot of the guys here are probably unaware of those statistics and the history behind it.
"It's not an easy place to win. Something that we will be up against is playing at a hostile venue like Loftus and I think it's an enjoyable challenge and hopefully, we will put our best foot forward and it will be a great game," Foley added.
By Josh Isaacson
@isaacson_j
@rugby365com
