Preview: Springboks v Wallabies

VENUE & TIME: Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein, Sun September 5, 3:00am (NZT).
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 73 – South Africa 44, Australia 28, Draw 1.
LAST TIME: August 29, 2010 (Pretoria) – Springboks 44-31 Wallabies.
Match Odds: TAB NZ: Wallabies: $1.30, Springboks: $3.30.

WALKING WOUNDED: The Springboks have made one unforced change to their starting line-up with experienced lock Danie Rossouw swapping places with Flip van der Merwe who drops back to the bench. In the only other alteration to the 22, livewire full-back Gio Aplon, who was unlucky to be dropped for last week's clash after impressing against the All Blacks in Johannesburg a fortnight ago, comes onto the bench for the injured Butch James (shoulder). The Wallabies have received a major boost with veteran lock Nathan Sharpe cleared to play after overcoming the ankle injury that forced him from the field late in last weekend's loss to the 'Boks. The news is not so good for reserve forward Scott Higginbotham, who will have to wait at least another week to make his Test debut after failing to overcome a back injury suffered in the warm-up in Pretoria. Meanwhile, the selectors have wielded the axe with lock Dean Mumm, hooker Saia Faingaa and No.8 Richard Brown all dropped to the bench. Veteran lock Mark Chisolm and experienced hooker Stephen Moore both return to the starting side alongside abrasive Western Force loose forward Ben McCalman who'll make his run-on debut at No.8.

FORM: The world-champion Springboks overcame a disastrous start to end their four-match losing streak with a 44-31 win over Robbie Deans' men in Pretoria. Having twice trailed by 14 points in the opening half the hosts, who were expected to run out of gas late in the match, outscored the Wallabies 17-0 in the final half-hour to celebrate Victor Matfield's 100th Test in style. But while Peter De Villiers' men deserved their five-tries-to-four victory, their cause was helped significantly by the Wallabies who appeared to suffer from stage fright in the second half. The Wallabies looked like potential World Champions for most of the opening stanza but the team that came out in the second half would have been flat out beating Canada. The set-piece, in particular the lineout, was a major concern as the Wallabies lost four of their own lineout throws including two in the final 15 minutes whilst deep on attack.

WHO'S HOT: The Springboks backrow of Pierre Spies, Schalk Burger and Juan Smith dominated in Pretoria as the hosts won the all-important battle at the breakdown and largely nullified the dangerous David Pocock. Scrumhalf Francois Hougaard, who plays on the wing the Bulls in the Super 14, also proved his strong performance against the All Blacks in the No.9 jersey was no fluke. His try-saving tackle on Adam Ashley-Cooper in the 59th minute was match defining, while his service and overall contribution around the ground was first rate. For the Wallabies, full-back Kurtley Beale continued his strong recent form while wingers Drew Mitchell and James O'Connor also looked lethal every time they touched the ball in Pretoria.

WE THINK: The Wallabies let a golden chance slip against an ageing Springboks line-up last start, but we think this will be the week their 47-year drought on the Highveld ends. While the emotion of