Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock emphasised the enormous challenge confronting his team at Newlands on Saturday by describing the South African side as being close to the perfect rugby line-up.

After the Springboks' complete overhaul of both the British and Irish Lions and the All Blacks over the past two months, captain John Smit's line-up is even being labelled by some of his countrymen as the best South African side of all time.

Now the Wallabies, who showed off their mental inadequacies in Auckland last month by basically handing victory to the All Blacks, have to come up with a counter in the first of three Tri-Nations matches against the Springboks this season.

While Mortlock is buoyant, he knows there is no point underestimating the task ahead of his team this weekend, especially with the Wallabies' record on South African soil being so flimsy. After all, the Wallabies haven't won in Cape Town since 1992 and in their past 10 Tests in South Africa have only achieved one victory - last year in Durban.

Apart from the home-ground issue, the Wallabies have to encounter the threatening prospect of a merciless Springboks team, who are at the peak of their form.

As Mortlock explained on Thursday: "This is close to the most complete Springbok outfit that I've seen. Most of the guys [in the Wallabies] are saying that and so am I."

It all revolves South Africa's pride and self-belief.

"It is just the confidence that they go about their business which strikes you. They are a team on their game."

But Mortlock is hardly a doom merchant, instead emphasising that while their preparation for the Cape Town Test has been excellent, it will still require a faultless 80-minute performance to cause an upset.

"We've had an extended preparation for this game and sometimes it is a bad thing when you have the bye. But for us it has been a chance to do a lot of good work in Australia and in Cape Town, and while we are coming off the back of a Test where we weren't happy with how we went, I have been really impressed with the resolve amongst the crew. I'm confident that we will go out there with a positive intent.

"When we have played well against the Springboks, it has been because we have been involved in a composed, concerted effort for 80 minutes. They are a team which are at the moment in a really positive frame of mind, are playing a style of football that they are very comfortable with and they are playing it very, very well. So you'd be crazy not to go into such a game without a full 80-minute performance and a really good one at that. There's a lot to play for."

The Wallabies skipper added that they would not follow the inconsistent All Blacks, who dramatically varied their game plan and suffered losses in Bloemfontein and Durban.

"The All Blacks tried to change things in both Tests against South Africa, whereas our mindset is more about having the tools to put out there whatever you see fit at the right time," Mortlock said.

"Hopefully that will be the point of difference for us. Any opportunity we see, we have to take it straight away."

And while the Wallabies have deliberately not discussed last year's 53-8 trouncing in Johannesburg, it remains in the back of their minds.

"It's a good thing for us because it reminds us how damaging they can be when they're in the zone. And they're in a real positive frame of mind at the moment, so it reinforces the reality of what is in front of us," Mortlock said.

Meanwhile, Wallabies winger Drew Mitchell emphasised that they had to perform much better in the air than the All Blacks. "The Springboks got some good pay with their contestable kicking against the All Blacks," Mitchell said.

"It's just a matter of getting yourself in position, getting up in the air and being strong. In the moment, you just have to execute the skill."

The Wallabies named an unchanged starting team, with Peter Hynes moving onto the bench at the expense of Phil Waugh. The bench will have a four forward-three backs split.

RUGBYHEAVEN (AUS)