Wallabies believe forward battle will decide Perth Test against understrength Boks

Australia Test team lock Jeremy Williams believes Sunday's Test against the Springboks in Perth will be won up front, Craig Taylor reports for KickOfflink text.

Australia will see the match as a genuine opportunity, given that the Springboks have made 13 changes after their gruelling four-Test series against the All Blacks, handing debuts and run-outs to several players who did not feature in the Greatest Rivalry Series.

A win would give the Wallabies momentum heading into their Bledisloe Cup clashes against the All Blacks in October, as they chase the trophy for the first time since 2002.

Speaking to AAP, Williams said the Wallabies were fully aware the contest would be physical and had trained specifically for that this week, adding that the side needed to nail its processes and set the tone physically before players such as Harry Potter and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii could “do the magic“.

He acknowledged the scale of the challenge regardless of South Africa's changes, noting the Springboks' World Cup pedigree, their successful series against New Zealand, and a locking pairing with 230 caps between them. Williams said the Wallabies were “pumped” to test themselves against that experience.

The approach echoes the physical strategy the All Blacks pursued during the Greatest Rivalry Series, which nonetheless ended in a 3-1 series defeat to South Africa. Australia's hopes rest partly on the Springboks fielding some players short of recent match rhythm. Sunday's Test at Optus Stadium kicks off at 11:45.