Rugby: De Villiers vows to go all out

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers. Photo / Getty Images

In an ominous sign for the winless Wallabies, South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has promised the Springboks will go for the jugular on Saturday night.

De Villiers says he won't make the same mistake twice by experimenting with his red-hot Springboks who have all but officially secured the Tri-Nations.

The Suncorp Stadium clash stands as unbeaten South Africa's second match of a hectic three-week trek Down Under to end the tournament.

But instead of using it to rest some stars and give greater game-time to back-ups, De Villiers will step up plans to mark his team as the game's modern-day revolutionaries.

The world champions' only loss this year was suffered at the hands of the British and Irish Lions in the dead-rubber third test when De Villiers experimented with his team.

"You know, you only make a mistake once in your life, I made that mistake with the Lions," he said in Brisbane.

"It chose to work in out favour because I know where I stand with combinations and individual abilities.

"(But) for me to do the same thing now, when will I learn?

"So it's not about winning the Tri-Nations, it's taking it game by game and trying to stay No.1 in the world.

"We want to be the leading rugby nation, we want to set the trends, put down our markers, we want the world to follow us and we don't want to make our emblem cheap."

De Villiers will be forced into at least two changes with winger JP Pietersen (hamstring) and reserve lock Andries Bekker (shoulder) sent home after being injured in the 32-25 win over Australia in Perth.

Pack enforcer Bakkies Botha is also in doubt with abdomen and knee problems, leaving the Springboks with a second-row dilemma as Danie Rossouw is working his way back from a hamstring strain.

De Villiers is reluctant to call for replacements out of the South African Vodacom Cup and will give Botha as much time as possible to prove his fitness.

Botha and wing superstar Bryan Habana (groin) both sat out training at Brisbane Boys College on Monday morning but Habana has been ruled fit to play as his team search for their first win in Brisbane since 1971.

The South Africans have fired off a please-explain letter to IRB referees boss Paddy O'Brien after being puzzled by a spate of scrum penalties awarded to the Wallabies in Perth by Bryce Lawrence.

The Springboks are used to being favoured by whistle-blowers against the Australian scrum but Wallabies loose-head Benn Robinson continues to lower the colours of Springbok skipper John Smit.

"I can't understand the penalties and where they came from," De Villiers said.

- AAP