In all the excitement of Australia's first win on South African soil in eight years it was easy to overlook flanker Smith's milestone 90 Tests, one more than Frenchman Olivier Magne.

''I wasn't aware of it until after the game,'' Smith said.

''You don't play the game to reach these milestones but it was nice news to receive after the game and to surpass a great player like Olivier Magne is a fantastic achievement.

''I've got plenty of time and plenty of games ahead of me.''

And, no doubt, plenty more questions about the breakdown, a topic in which Smith could be handed an honorary doctorate.

''That's a question that comes up every week,'' he said.

''The breakdown's an important part of the game so it will definitely be an area that we will take notice of.''

The South African media have been obsessed with their side's inability to dominate the tackle area and are frustrated the Springboks haven't fielded a specialist ''fetcher'' in their recent run of Test losses.

But Smith wasn't buying into what South Africa should and shouldn't do with its back row.

''It can work in different ways for you, you can have faster [flankers] in terms of reaction time at the breakdown, then a bigger physical guy in terms of ball carrying ability,'' Smith repeated.

''So it works differently for different teams and I guess it works around the way the team is coached as well.''

Smith could go on answering similar questions into a 100th Test next year, a mark he admits he is aiming for.

''It's a possibility that I can reach that mark,'' he said.

''My body's feeling really good at the moment and I'm enjoying the football that I am playing so hopefully if the time comes I'd like to make that mark.'' AAP