The Wallabies will be staring at an unprecedented Tri-Nations flop a year out from the Rugby World Cup if they fail to break their South African hoodoo in Bloemfontein on Saturday (0100 Sunday AEST).

Captain Rocky Elsom's men face the very real prospect of back-to-back hauls of just one win from six series outings if they can't overcome a 47-year victory drought at altitude in the Republic.

The Wallabies only managed one-from-six in last year's series and a loss at Vodacom Park would leave them needing to overcome the rested and unbeaten All Blacks next week just days after a 14-hour flight home in order to better their 2009 record.

Until last year, Australia had not managed less than two wins in the Tri-Nations since each side began playing six Tests in 2006.

Before that, when each side played four Tests, their only back-to-back single victories came in the first two years of the competition, 1996 and 1997.

Two Tests at altitude in South Africa and a jet-lagged preparation for the final Test in Sydney on Saturday week are hardly ideal scheduling for coach Robbie Deans' team as they look to take something out of a series already won by the All Blacks.

"The tournament's a very difficult one full-stop and obviously they're factors but there's not too much we can do about that so it's best not to focus on that sort of stuff," Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom said.

"There are things we can do to try and help and we've done those over the last couple of weeks here but at the end of the day the tournament's a difficult one and you've got to be prepared for it."

Australia haven't won in Bloemfontein since 1933 but came perilously close to a first ever win at Pretoria's Loftus Versfeld last Saturday, prompting Elsom to declare his side had a steely resolve.

"As far as the most determined (I've experienced), it's hard to say," he said. "It's definitely a very determined group."

A one-from-six result this year would leave Deans with a measly two wins from 13 outings against Tri-Nations opponents in 2009 and 2010 with another Test against the All Blacks to be played in Hong Kong in October.

But it will be Springboks coach Peter de Villiers who enters Saturday's match under more pressure as speculation mounts he could be sacked over comments about murder accused Bulls prop Bees Roux.

Wallabies lock Nathan Sharpe (ankle) completed the side's second training hit-out this week, while centre Matt Giteau, who rolled his ankle at the same session, was walking freely on Thursday.

"He's stopped squealing, which is good because the guys were getting a bit frustrated with that up the back of the bus," Sharpe said. "Certainly he'll be OK I think."

South Africa: Francois Steyn; JP Pietersen, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana; Morne Steyn, Francois Hougaard; Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger; Victor Matfield, Danie Rossouw; Jannie du Plessis, John Smit (capt), Gurthro Steenkamp. Res: Chiliboy Ralepelle, CJ van der Linde, Flip van der Merwe, Ryan Kankowski, Ricky Januarie, Juan de Jongh, Gio Aplon

Australia: Kurtley Beale; James O'Connor, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell; Quade Cooper, Will Genia; Ben McCalman, David Pocock, Rocky Elsom (capt); Nathan Sharpe, Mark Chisholm; Salesi Ma'afu, Stephen Moore, Benn Robinson. Res: Saia Fainga'a, James Slipper, Dean Mumm, Richard Brown, Luke Burgess, Berrick Barnes, Anthony Fainga'a

Referee: Wayne Barnes (ENG)

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