South Africa is clinging to the faint hope it can rack up two big wins over Australia in the next two weekends and walk away with the Tri Nations title.
The Springboks need a near miracle to add the southern hemisphere trophy to their World Cup win, requiring bonus point wins over the Wallabies in Durban on Saturday and Johannesburg a week later and then an Australian victory over New Zealand in Brisbane next month.
The Boks have scored just three tries in their first four Tri Nations Tests this year but now need to score eight in two games to secure the bonus points.
''There is still a chance [that we could win the Tri Nations] and we want to go out there and play positive rugby,'' Springboks captain Victor Matfield said.
''We want to play our best. Another loss would be unacceptable.''
The South Africans were held scoreless for the first time by the All Blacks at home in last Saturday's 19-0 loss but Matfield said they had failed to grab the chances they created.
''It's a matter of using our opportunities this week,'' he said.
''We've been looking over one or two things and already I've seen a few improvements at training.
''Playing for the Boks is all about pride, so I don't know if you can say we are just playing for pride [this weekend].''
Coach Peter de Villiers, under fire at home after turning the Springboks' style away from that which won them the world title in France, is only too aware of the need for five-pointers, a task made even more difficult by the unavailability of injured wing star Bryan Habana.
Asked yesterday about his expectations of Habana's replacement, Cheetahs winger Jongi Nokwe, the coach said, ''He just has to score tries.''
Meanwhile, de Villiers and Matfield have come in for some heavy criticism from the International Rugby Board's referees boss Paddy O'Brien.
The coach and captain were both unhappy with Australian referee Matt Goddard's interpretations at the breakdown in last Saturday's loss.
Matfield had several heated on-field discussions with Goddard while de Villiers yesterday called on the IRB to allow coaches to meet pre-match with referees.
''All the countries have been invited, after each match, to put a report forward on every referee where they have got concerns,'' O'Brien said.
''Countries like England, Wales, Argentina and many others have all spent time after games submitting very mature reports.
''That is very valuable to us.
''However, I have yet to hear from the South Africans all season.
''There is a medium to go through and that is me, but I have no sympathy for a coach that wants to go through the media rather than me,'' O'brien said. AAP
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