Wallabies choose brains over brawn

Australia are planning to play 'clever' when they meet South Africa in a Rugby Championship Test at Newlands next week.

The Springboks and the Wallabies are joint second on the standings, seemingly in a race for second place - with the All Blacks six points clear at the top and just two rounds remaining.

Wallaby coach Ewen McKenzie, speaking to the media in a teleconference call after naming  a 28-man touring squad for the trip to South Africa and Argentina, described the encounter at Newlands as 'significant'.

The Wallabies will assemble in Sydney on Friday, before flying to South Africa on Monday - ahead of the matches against the Springboks in Cape Town (Saturday, September 27) and Argentina in Mendoza (Saturday, October 4).

In their previous encounter, when a late try from Rob Horne saw the Wallabies pip the Springboks 24-23 in a tense match in Perth, the Boks dominated the set pieces.

However, McKenzie resisted the temptation to bring in more muscle, even axing giant lock Will Skelton from the tour squad.

"The game is about brawn, but it is about brains too - so you have to find ways through the games," the Wallaby mentor said, when asked about taking on the physically imposing South African on their home turf.

"There are different ways of doing it.

"That is one of the beauties of the game, so I am not worried about that."

McKenzie acknowledged the Wallabies had to work on turning potential to win in Cape Town into reality, and said the game carried big stakes.

"You have to have the potential, and we definitely went to Auckland in that space and came up short," he said.

After a promising start to the competition, a 12-all draw with New Zealand in Sydney, the Wallabies fell flat in their next outing - a 20-51 loss in Auckland.

They picked themselves up to beat the Boks (24-23) and Pumas (32-25) in rounds three and four.

McKenzie said it was important for his team to continue the upward curve they have showed since the hammering they took at the hands of the All Blacks last month.

"It's another significant moment," he said of the Newlands Test.

"The next 10 days there are opportunities there that can create reputation and create credibility.

"We've been pretty consistent, but we still haven't won everyone over and we're our own toughest critics and we need to keep at it."

McKenzie, who selected 16 forwards and 12 backs for the tour, also named stalwart prop Robinson in his top squad for the first time this season as well as experienced scrumhalf Genia.

But more than a dozen players were not considered due to injury, including Stephen Moore (knee), Tatafu Polota-Nau (ankle), Wycliff Palu (head), and Quade Cooper (shoulder).

"It's pleasing to be able to bring in some experienced guys for what will be an extremely challenging tour of South Africa and Argentina," he said.

McKenzie said the squad was looking forward to the challenges ahead.

"While pleased to have finished ahead on the scoreboard over the past two weeks, we understand there is still a lot of improvement left in this group," he said.

"We'll be working hard to ensure we see that over the next fortnight.

"The Springboks and Argentina always lift to another level when they are playing at home and so we are under no illusions as to the challenges which are ahead."

By Jan de Koning