Springbok artillery ready

More than 20 frontline Springboks were left back in South Africa for the world champions' first two Tests of the season but Smit said there was no lessening of the standards expected from the men in green and gold.

"I'm looking for a win, that's why we're here," the 33-year-old hooker said.

"We don't really have the opportunity for any warm-up games or finding our feet or getting any combinations going. There's four games before the World Cup.

"It's important to get some kind of momentum, some kind of confidence, make sure that the combinations you are playing are functioning ...

"There's a lot at stake. And hopefully the one's that have the chance in the first couple of games can make those (selection) decisions harder for the coaches."

The Springboks sent similarly weakened teams overseas in the 2007 Tri-Nations before going on to win rugby's biggest prize later in the year.

"I'm hoping that there will be similarities between the two World Cups but there are many different things we will have to replicate to win it again," he said.

Smit, who will win his 103rd cap this weekend, said he had been one of the players left behind in 2007 and it had made for sometimes uncomfortable viewing.

"I think back four years ago and we were sitting in Schalk Burger's wine farm and we went up 17-0 ahead and it was a very quiet Braai," he added.

With the rain still teeming down outside the team hotel, Smit was expecting a wet surface at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday evening.

"We'll see which team has got an artillery that is suited to this weather," he added. "I'm hoping it will advantage us but we'll have to see how both team adapt to the conditions."

One significant weapon in the South African armoury is the boot of flyhalf Morne Steyn, whose reliability as a place kicker could be a key factor in a tight game.

"He's kicked some really crucial goals for us in the last couple of seasons so I'm pretty sure the Wallabies will realise he's a pretty big threat there when it come to kicking three points," said Smit.

"I think discipline will be pretty crucial to both sides but when there's kicks that need to go over, he's pretty capable."

Coralling the Wallabies halfback pairing of Will Genia and Quade Cooper, restored to the starting line-up after last week's upset at the hands of Samoa, would be an important part of stopping the Australians, he said.

"A lot of it will be composure from a team that probably doesn't have as much experience as they've had over the years ... from turnover ball they're really dangerous so we'll have to limit that as much as possible."

Smit will pack down with two debutant props in the front row and laughed off suggestions that they would be targeting their Wallaby counterparts in what is traditionally an area of strength for the South Africans and weakness for the home side.

"At the beginning of the week, I was answering questions about whether they'd be targeting us so I suppose we'll each be targeting each other," he said.