Australia have announced their 25-man touring squad for South Africa, with several changes from the team that beat Fiji 49-0 in Perth.
Three players from the side that played Fiji at Subiaco Oval have been omitted from the side.
James Horwill and David Lyons both started in Perth, but will not be heading to face the Springboks, nor will Sam Norton-Knight, who scored an impressive try after replacing Stephen Larkham.
Coach John Connolly has finished with his experimentation of players, and from the first Tri-Nations Test in Cape Town will be starting with what he believes is his World Cup side.
The Springboks, though, have been in unstoppable form leading into the fixture, and Connolly is under no illusions how tough the clash will be.
‘We are confident we will go well. You have got to try and muscle up, and you have got to try and be smart, it is a balance between the two,’ Connolly said.
‘Next week will be our best side. You will probably see a fair reconfiguration of the backline, and in the forwards. Of the 10 that played Fiji, there will be a number of changes.’
The Wallabies lost their last Test against the Springboks 24-16 at Ellis Park, and that will be in the back of Connolly's mind on Saturday.
‘We have got a very tough four weeks coming up, and everyone knows that. Last time an Australian team played over there we got a nice touch up,’ he said.
‘We weren't terribly smart in that Test how we played. You have definitely got to be tough, and you have got to be able to do it all.’
Connolly will start with the tried and true combination of George Gregan, Larkham, Matt Giteau and Stirling Mortlock, but the whole team will be under pressure with the likes of Drew Mitchell, Scott Staniforth and Mark Gerrard in great form.
‘A guy wouldn't want to have a real bad game,’ he said.
‘A lot of guys, the Huxleys, the Mitchells, the Staniforths, the Gerrards those types of players. They are probably in the frame now - and you wouldn't want a couple of bad games if you are in the starting line-up.’
Squad: A Ashley-Cooper, A Baxter, M Chisholm, S Cordingley, M Dunning, R Elsom, A Freier, M Gerrard, M Giteau, G Gregan, S Hoiles, J Huxley, S Larkham, D Mitchell, S Moore, S Mortlock, W Palu, B Robinson, N Sharpe, G Shepherdson, G Smith, S Staniforth, L Tuqiri, D Vickerman, P Waugh.
