Fed up at being labelled second-stringers, the smarting Springboks are promising the Wallabies no respite in Saturday night's Tri Nations opener in Sydney.

Man mountain Danie Rossouw, South African rugby's most successful player, was furious on Thursday when asked what the understrength world champions had in store for the Wallabies.

"This second string stuff, I'm not listening to that stuff. It's a Springbok team and if you get picked for a Springbok team, you give your best," Rossouw snapped.

"We've got the best 22 for this game and that's how it is. It's not nice to be called the second-string team."

Rossouw, all 197cm and 118kg of him, said the persistent slurs had upset the tourists and would serve as added motivation at ANZ Stadium.

"It's a big thing," said Rossouw, who along with injured legend Bakkies Botha is the only Springbok to have won a Rugby World Cup, Tri Nations, Lions series, Super Rugby title and the domestic Currie Cup.

All up, coach Peter de Villiers has left more than 20 frontline players back in South Africa to recuperate for the Springboks' two home Tests before the World Cup starting in September.

But in addition to fielding three debutants against the Wallabies, and nine players with 10 caps or less, South Africa also boasts ample experience in the likes of Rossouw, skipper John Smit, who will be making his 103rd Test appearance, and centre Wynand Olivier.

"There is a lot of quality in this Springboks side," Olivier told AAP.

"As far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing as a B side or a second-string side or whatever.

"For us, it's a big opportunity just playing for the Springboks. Putting that green jersey over our head, it's a big honour.

"This weekend is definitely going to be a big one - B side, A side, it doesn't matter. A Test is a Test and it's always a physical confrontation and I can't see anything less than a physical confrontation."

The Springboks are bracing for a backlash from the Wallabies after Australia relinquished their No.2 world ranking to South Africa following Sunday's shock loss to Samoa.

But the visitors are still drawing confidence from Samoa's upset.

"In years to come, they're going to say Samoa beat Australia. They're not going to ask what the Australian side was like," Olivier said.

"So Samoa beat them and, for us, we're the Springboks and we've come here to win the game and put up a challenge.

"The guys are mentally up for this."

Sharks lock Alistair Hargreaves was on Thursday promoted to the Springboks starting XV as a replacement for the injured Johann Muller.

Muller was ruled out with a hamstring strain, with Hargreaves' place on the bench taken by his Sharks teammate Ryan Kankowski.

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