Wallabies wary

New Australia coach Eddie Jones leads the Wallabies into a Test for the first time today and he expects the wounded, unpredictable South Africans to make confrontational opponents.

Traditionally South Africa react to a loss by closing up, cutting out the expansive elements to their game and relying instead on an aggressively tight game plan.

And the former ACT Brumbies coach believes Harry Viljoen's Springboks are no different.

He has described South Africa's season thus far as "consistently inconsistent" and has taken comfort from studying how a wounded Springbok reacts.

Viljoen had promised a re-invented South African style and the future of Springboks rugby was pinpointed in a number of new caps.

But they emerged from a three-week training camp to face a weakened France side which destroyed all their pre-match confidence, dishing out a hefty and demoralising defeat.

And what followed the first Test defeat was a wholly unconvincing second Test victory and then an equally understated triumph over Italy, the Six Nations whipping boys.

Viljoen chopped and changed, axed Andre Vos as skipper and first choice number eight and installed Bobby Skinstad as his replacement in both roles - Vos was moved to openside flanker.

And then last week South Africa were presented with their toughest challenge yet, a home clash with the All Blacks - and they were tactically inferior.

And so Australia's Super 12 coach of the year is bracing himself for a belligerent Springboks performance.

"South Africa will follow a pattern," he said, "and the pattern is that after a loss they usually revert to a very conservative, aggressive style.

"In the first Test against France they played a more expansive style, really trying to move the ball around.

"But in the second Test they were very physical. Against the All Blacks they were a bit of a mixture so I think this week they will go back to what they know best. They will be more confrontational and more physical."

The Wallabies have named just one change to the side which defeated the Lions in Sydney a fortnight ago, with first-choice lock David Giffin replacing Austin Healey's nemesis Justin Harrison.

Meanwhile, Viljoen has made another of his now characteristic bold decisions and called up the inexperienced Conrad Jantjes at full back ahead of the erratic Percy Montgomery and his expected replacement Thinus Delport.

Injured lock Victor Matfield is replaced by Johan Ackermann while centre Marius Joubert, who is out for three weeks with a knee injury, makes way for specialist kicker Braam van Straaten.

Lock Mark Andrews is also a doubt with an ankle injury, but has been included in the line-up.