Form suggests Australia

Australia will add the solitary trophy missing from their cabinet if they beat South Africa and win the Tri-Nations title in Durban tomorrow. It would give them their first success in the five-year southern hemisphere rugby competition, to go with their 1999 World Cup.

Earlier this year they also retained the Bledisloe Cup against New Zealand, won the inaugural Mandela Challenge Trophy against South Africa and also hold the Cook Cup contested against England.

Coach Rod Macqueen's side have lost only once in their last 13 internationals and won four of their last five meetings with the Springboks.

"Australia have really honed their game and are right at the peak of a cycle," said Springbok coach, Nick Mallett.

The Springboks defeated the AllBlacks in Johannesburg on Saturday 46-40 which ended a run of four successive defeats and Mallett admitted one vital factor in his side's favour was home advantage.

That has frequently counted against the Wallabies in South Africa, where they have lost their last five matches.

But skipper John Eales said: "I don't think that's got anything to do with Saturday's game. This is a different team and we're confident that we can win. We've not won the Tri-Nations and this a great chance for us."

Three of Australia's World Cup winners, centre Jason Little, prop Richard Harry and flanker David Wilson, will make their final Test appearances. Little and Wilson are to pursue careers in Europe, as is the injured Tim Horan, while Harry is retiring. "It's fair to say that this is the end of an era," said Macqueen. Australia trail New Zealand by two points in the Tri-Nations standings. A win would give them four points but they could still lose and take the title if they score at least four tries in a defeat by fewer than six points.

That would put them level with New Zealand on 12 points but they would take the title on points difference.

The title could be shared in the unlikely event of Australia losing by seven points and scoring four tries. The two countries would then be level on standings points, points difference and the final tie-breaker of tries scored.

SOUTH AFRICA: T Delport; C Williams, G Esterhuizen, R Fleck, B Paulse; B van St raaten, W Swanepoel; R Kempson, C Marais, C Visagie, A Venter, M Andrews, R Erasmus, A Vos, C Krige.

AUSTRALIA: C Latham; S Mortlock, D ason Little, J Roff; S Larkham, G, Gregan; R Harry, M Foley, F Dyson, D Giffin, J Eales (capt), M Connors, J Williams, D Wilson.