Springboks v Australia: Five key matchups to watch at Ellis Park

The match between South Africa and Australia promises to be a thrilling encounter, with the Boks arguably holding the edge thanks to the physical presence of their forwards and the added benefit of home advantage at a stadium the Wallabies haven't won at in over 30 years.

However, the Aussies' resilience and resurgence in recent weeks mean this tie is likely to be a lot closer than many would have predicted.

Here are the key individual battles to watch:

Flyhalf: Manie Libbok vs James O'Connor

Libbok's selection at flyhalf came as a bit of surprise with Handre Pollard and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu missing out, but it signals a clear intent from the Springboks to go on the attack against the Aussies.

His flair and playmaking ability will be difficult for the Wallabies to deal with and are likely to shine in favourable conditions in Johannesburg over the weekend. There are still lingering questions about the consistency of his goal-kicking but he has shown significant improvement in that area of his game and the Boks do have other options if it starts to go wrong.

For Australia, O'Connor provides a heap of experience and is famous for his aggressive defence off the line, which could cause problems for Libbok if the Australian can start to disrupt his plans early on.

Captaincy Battle: Siya Kolisi vs Harry Wilson

Both captains will be playing eighth man for their respective sides on Saturday, leading their teams from the commander's position at the back of the scrum.

It is an interesting clash of leadership with Kolisi moving to No. 8 for the first time in his illustrious Test career. He is no stranger to the position, though, having played there plenty in club and franchise rugby.

For all their depth, the Boks have found themselves a little short at eighth man after Jasper Wiese was banned for four games, while Elrigh Louw and Cameron Hanekom picked up injuries in pre-season.

Wilson, while a strong No. 8, is relatively inexperienced as a captain at 25 years old and only 22 Test caps under his belt.

He is a dynamic and tireless back-rower and will be looking to use his work rate and powerful carries to dominate the contact areas. The matchup with Kolisi could prove to be pivotal in the breakdown battle as both will look to be disruptive presences on the pitch.

Backline back three: Aphelele Fassi, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Edwill van der Merwe vs Tom Wright, Max Jorgensen and Dylan Pietsch

The aerial contest is set to play a huge role in the altitude at Ellis Park and Fassi's selection at fullback provides an incredibly solid foundation for the Springboks to field kicks safely and put plenty of pressure on the Wallabies' kicking game via the counterattack.

The electric pace and clinical finishing abilities of both Arendes and Van der Merwe are also going to cause Australia plenty of headaches if they start to lose control of the kicking battle.

Wright provides a good counterattacking platform at fullback for Australia and has a habit of breaking lines by exploiting loose kicks but there aren't likely to be many of those with both Fassi and Libbok being exceptional kickers out of hand.

Jorgensen and Pietsch are exciting talents on the wing for Australia but their relative lack of experience at Test level is something that the Springboks may look to exploit.

Front row: Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw vs James Slipper, Billy Pollard, Taniela Tupou

No matter how the Springboks set themselves up in other areas of the pitch, the scrum - and particularly the front row battle - will always be a cornerstone of their game plan.

Ox Nche is one of the most destructive loosehead props in the world, while Marx provides world-class quality at hooker, with elite lineout throwing ability and a massive physical presence at the breakdown.

Louw will be anchoring the scrum at tighthead and completes a formidable platform for the Springboks.

Slipper is a wily customer at loosehead and his experience after 140 Test matches is something that should not be underestimated. Tupou is a powerhouse at tighthead prop and also provides an explosive ball-carrying threat but his discipline issues may be something the Boks look to take advantage of.

Pollard, at hooker, has shown a lot of promise in Super Rugby and the Tests against the British & Irish Lions but his lack of games at Test level is a clear weakness.

Midfield: Andre Esterhuizen and Jesse Kriel vs Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii

The midfield battle will be a clash of physicality and defensive organisation to provide a platform for the attacking flair in the respective back threes.

Both teams will be looking to their centres to control the gainline and create openings for their backlines while organising the defence on the other side of the ball.

Esterhuizen is a no-nonsense brute-force centre that wants to use his size and power to break tackles and dominate the collisions. If South Africa decides they need to switch to a more direct style at any point in the game, he will become a key focal point of the attack.

Kriel provides experience at outside centre and will be marshalling the defence while also providing a leadership outlet to assist Kolisi. His work rate and ability to exploit weaknesses in the opponent's line are also likely to be crucial at Ellis Park.

The fact that both players also have plenty of experience in high-pressure Test match situations is a huge boon to the Springboks backline.

Ikitau is a dynamic and versatile player, known for his footwork and ability to create opportunities in tight spaces and space is going to be limited more often than not against the Springboks' rush defence.

Suaalii is seen as something of a prodigy in Australia and his athleticism, raw power and ability to offload the ball in the tackle are all strong skills at Test level but his lack of experience is an undoubted vulnerability in the Wallabies back line that the Springboks are certain to try and exploit.

Suaalii's physicality is theoretically a strong counter to Esterhuizen in the collisions but you can be sure the South African will be testing his defensive position and looking to put pressure on him early and often.