From Jan de Koning on rugby365.com

Veteran Wallaby loose forward George Smith, one of a handful of celebrated players with 100 Test caps, believes the set pieces will be the key when Australia tackle South Africa in a Tri-Nations crunch match in Cape Town on Saturday.

Speaking in the build-up to the Newlands showdown against the unbeaten Springboks, Smith said the Aussies have done a lot of work on their set pieces.

The Boks – in their back-to-back wins over the All Blacks the past fortnight – showed that they are not just secure in their own set pieces, but often also dominate on the opposition’s ball.

Having squeezed the life out of the normally efficient All Black pack, the Boks showed that they are now the masters of the set piece world.

In the last Test, in Durban at the weekend, the Boks won 25 out of 37 set pieces that were contested, 68 percent from these primary phases going to South Africa – which included the Boks turning over two All Black scrum balls, while also stealing three and disrupting a fourth of the Kiwis’ eight line-outs.

Not surprising then that the Wallabies are looking to improve their set-piece play.

“You must make sure you are complete in your own set piece and disrupt them as much ball in that area for them as you can,” Smith said, when asked how they plan to end the Boks’ victory march.

“We have done a lot of work on our set piece, to make sure we execute that well and when you do get the opportunity to disrupt their set piece you must take full advantage of it.”

He said that set pieces have been South Africa’s strength, but it is also their physicality within games that is a concern.

“In any Bok side you play, they are a physical team,” the Wallaby flank said.

He said he doesn’t think the Wallabies will be underdone, despite not having played a Test for three weeks – their last outing having been a 16-22 loss to the All Blacks in Auckland last month.

“The guys have been playing club football, but that’s obviously not Test level,” Smith said, adding: “The boys have been training hard in Sydney and playing for club sides.

“I don’t think the [Aussie] boys will be underdone in this game. The boys have been training particularly hard and everyone has an understanding of what needs to be done here in Cape Town.

“The boys have the full knowledge that we have to play particularly well to beat them [the Boks].”

He also dismissed the notion that the South Africans might start showing some ‘battle fatigue’, considering they will be playing in their third consecutive Test this week.

“I don’t think it [third game in a row] will be a factor,” ASmith said, adding: “They’re professional players and if they recover as they should be, I don’t think fatigue will be a factor.”

He also pointed out that the Boks will have a three-week break of their own after Saturday, which means they will be able to “empty the tanks”.

The 29-year-old Wallaby flank, now in his 10th season of international rugby, says he always enjoy visiting Cape Town and playing at Newlands.

“We always seem to get a good reception from the crowd, they love Australians here,” he quipped.