Recovering centre Berrick Barnes is confident his relatively light frame can handle a potential battering from bigger opponents Jean de Villiers and Ma'a Nonu in Australia's forthcoming Tri-Nations clashes.

The Queensland inside back revealed the AC joint injury he suffered last weekend had improved markedly in recent days.

"On Sunday, I was moving around like a bit of a cripple. Come Monday and today, I've been training all right," Barnes said.

"The passing has been fine and I'll just stay out of contact for this week and hopefully get it around."

He was optimistic about being fit for Australia's Tri-Nations opener against South African in Perth on Saturday week and confident his body could stand up to the punishment likely to be metered out by the likes of de Villiers and Nonu.

Barnes tips the scales at 87kg, while Nonu is listed at 104kg and de Villiers at 103kg.

"They are not small guys, but I've come up against them before in Super 14, so it's not something I'm daunted by in any respect," Barnes said.

"Whoever is going to play there has got a tough challenge."

The 22-year-old felt his combination with five-eighth Matt Giteau and halfback Luke Burgess was developing well.

"We've got options all over the park. I suppose on the weekend we never got to really get past four or five phases because we either put the ball down or we made a break.

"We haven't got it to full fruition, but it's coming along. Obviously with the addition of Timana (Tahu) and a few others there in the squad, it's exciting."

While the two do swap positions, Barnes enjoyed playing outside Giteau because of the opportunities the brilliant playmaker generated.

However, he ruefully lamented his Reds and Wallabies colleague and lock James Horwill had scored more tries than he had by following Giteau around this year.

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