The Wallabies will attempt to expose South Africa's usually dominant lineout in the Tri-Nations match on Saturday when the Springboks will rely on a third string hooker.

With captain John Smit back in South Africa nursing a groin injury and stand-in rake Bismarck du Plessis suspended for the Perth Test, green No.2 Schalk Brits has been given the throw-in duties.

And with the key personnel change Australian lock Nathan Sharpe sees a chink in the usually impenetrable Springbok forward armour.

"They lack a little bit of combination now with the guys that will come in so it's an area we'll definitely target," Sharpe said.

"But it's not the be all and end all, there's plenty of areas in the game where you need to get ascendancy."

Firstly though, Sharpe needs to ensure he gets on the field.

While he trained strongly in Perth and said he felt no ill affects from the groin injury that kept him out of Australia's 40-10 win over France in Brisbane, Sharpe recognised he wouldn't necessarily be in the starting XV against the Springboks.

A walk-up starter for the Wallabies in recent years, Sharpe's tenure appears less certain under new coach Robbie Deans - the return of Dan Vickerman to club rugby on the weekend and the good form of fellow lock James Horwill making for some heated competition.

"There's no guarantees in this game, Robbie will make a decision," Sharpe said.

"Hopefully I get an opportunity. I had no problems at all today, it was very good."

Assistant coach Jim Williams said a decision on whether to bring back Vickerman, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury, would be left until later in the week.

"It was his first game in five or six weeks (playing club rugby on the weekend) so he's a little bit tired at the moment, just working through things," Williams said.

Inside centre Berrick Barnes has recovered from a shoulder injury and will be put through contact drills on Tuesday.

Winger Lote Tuqiri and No.8 Wycliff Palu are also both set to return from injuries that forced them to miss the Wallabies' last Test.

Williams said regardless of the squad make-up, the Australians would have to lift their intensity by "100 per cent" from their efforts against France if they were to make an impact in the Tri-Nations tournament.

He said the entire set piece - and not just line out, would be vital at Subiaco Oval.

"We need to make sure we can hold our own and even do better than that, we've got to be striving as high as we can to make sure we give them as little ball as possible," Williams said.

"That will make our job a hell of a lot easier if we can do that.

"(Victor) Matfield and Bakkies (Botha) are both very confident with the way they go about things (in the line-out) so we'll be working hard on that to make sure we can stifle them in any fashion."

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