New coaches, new game-plans, new rules. Saturday's Tri-Nations rugby test between Australia and South Africa is shaping as the battle of the expansionists.
While Robbie Deans has emphasised attacking instinct since he became Wallabies coach in June, the Springboks' new man Peter de Villiers declared this week he would persevere with his side's newfound width and hot potato ball-play despite mixed results.
That wasn't how the Springboks won last year's Rugby World Cup, but the arrival of the experimental law variations (ELVs) has changed the landscape and South Africa are in desperate need of bonus points if they're to pull off an unlikely Tri-Nations series win.
Likely Wallabies fullback Drew Mitchell believes this weekend's Durban clash will involve all of the new ingredients.
"They have been playing an attacking expansive type of game, and I think they'll keep going with that," Mitchell said.
"It is up to us to make sure we are on our game with our defensive policies and that sort of thing.
"If there is any opportunity for turnovers or things like that, we can hopefully sting them back.
"With these new ELVs, it certainly creates a lot more opportunity at fullback in terms of counter-attack and turn-over ball and getting your hands on the ball as much as you can.
"Certainly late in the halves, when the bigger guys are getting fatigued there is some scope there to try and get involved and get a few mismatches." The Wallabies have a day off today but Deans will be assessing how key forwards Rocky Elsom and James Horwill (both foot injuries) pull up after their first full training run of the trip yesterday.
"Jimmy Horwill and Rocky both trained fully so the key now will be how they respond to that," Deans said.
"They had a scrummaging session which is the first one they've had as well so the fact that they're out here and doing it is good, it means there's a chance but the key will be how they report after that.
"We don't want to set it back so that they then need an operation. We've got to be sensible about it because there's still footy to come." Horwill's injury dates back three tests to the Wallabies' win over South Africa in Perth, where his foot was caught in an awkward position resulting in strained ligaments and bone bruising.
"It grumbles a little bit but that's pretty much as expected so at the moment it's feeling nothing new and it feels pretty good so I can't see a reason why it will keep me out," he said.
