Rugby: Wallabies 'one win' away from Tri-Nations title

Wallabies skipper Stirling Mortlock says one away win may be enough to secure the 2009 Tri-Nations title. Photo / Getty Images

The Wallabies will enter Saturday's showdown with the Springboks in Cape Town believing one away victory may be enough to win this year's Tri Nations trophy.

Skipper Stirling Mortlock says the competition appears so desperately tight in 2009, the three sides so evenly matched, that the annual southern hemisphere championship may even be decided by bonus points.

Hence why the Wallabies were privately cheering after South Africa's 31-19 home triumph over New Zealand in Durban on Saturday.

For the second week in a row, neither the Springboks or All Blacks could manage a bonus point, leaving the Wallabies - with three home games remaining - with the inside running to the title despite having lost their first match to the All Blacks in Auckland last month.

"I did mention in New Zealand that gaining one bonus point for us was a big plus because in the past it has been the difference," Mortlock told AAP.

"The reality of this Tri Nations is that the teams are very, very tight - all three - and away victories are pretty rare.

"So we've just got to make sure we do everything in our power to go out there on Saturday with a great opportunity to play well and hopefully win."

Assistant coach Jim Williams and hooker Stephen Moore agree that a rare triumph over the Springboks at Newlands would give the Wallabies a "massive" advantage in the race for Tri Nations honours.

"And history would suggest that, so it's a huge game for us," Moore said.

"You've just got to win your home games and any games you can pick up away puts you in good stead, so that's the way we're approaching it.

"With the Boks having three home games to start with, they can really set themselves up well.

"So it's important as far as the tournament goes that we can get a win this Saturday to stay in the hunt."

The Wallabies, though, acknowledge beating the all-conquering Springboks at Newlands for the first time since 1992 is infinitely easier said than done.

The tourists know they must match the Springboks in the physicality stakes and that's why Williams and skills coach Richard Graham - in the absence of head coach Robbie Deans - were demanding the Wallabies got down and dirty during the team's first training run on Monday since arriving in Cape Town last Friday night.

"If you don't front up physically, you're not going to win the contest," Graham said.

Moore admitted the Wallabies failed to aim up in their series-opening 22-16 loss to the All Blacks.

"We probably weren't where we should have been in Auckland," he said.

"Test rugby in general is becoming more and more physical every year. That's just the nature of Test football. Guys are getting more physical or more athletic every year.

"You look at some of the Springbok forwards and the physicality and athleticism of some of those guys is pretty scary.

"It's something we've really got to match."

The Wallabies certainly won't be short on passion, with prop Al Baxter saying the death of Deans' father in Christchurch last Friday had given the side added motivation.

"We're certainly all feeling for him and it might bring an extra bit of meaning to the match for us," Baxter said.

Deans is due to arrive in Cape Town on Wednesday night and will name his match-day 22, from a 24-man touring squad, on Thursday.

- AAP