Highveld not an issue - Deans

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans believes too much has been made of Australia's poor record at high altitude on South Africa's dry plateau.

The Wallabies have not won at any of the Highveld venues in Pretoria, Johannesburg or Bloemfontein since 1963.

As in recent years, the Wallabies have chosen to based themselves at sea level in Cape Town ahead of Saturday's Tri-Nations clash with the Springboks at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, on the opposite end of the country. They will also prepare for the Bloemfontein Test in Durban on the East coast.

It is a commonly accepted theory that the body needs at least eights days to acclimatise to the thin-aired environment in Pretoria (approx. 1350m above sea level) but that the negative effects of a change in altitude are minimal if you play within 24 hours of arriving.

Planet Rugby was on hand on Monday to get the Wallabies' thoughts.

"We don't have a great history (on the Highveld)," admitted Deans.

"To be frank, it's not the issue people make it out to be. With the recent experience of Super Rugby, it's certainly not high on these blokes minds."

Deans added that choosing potentially wet and windy Cape Town over a base at altitude had more to do with "familiarity with the facilities" than a plan to prepare for the conditions in Pretoria.

"The boys enjoy it here. It's become routine in many ways," he said.

"It works for us in terms of our preparations without a doubt... and that's what this week is all about."

Place-kicker Matt Giteau added that he enjoyed playing at altitude.

"I'm not noted for long distance goals but when can hit 'em from 40 or 50m out I appreciate being at altitude," he said.

Deans noted that discipline would be more important than ever when Springbok kickers such as Morne and Francois Steyn could hit the target from a long way out.

"Discipline is going to be a big part of it because you do get punished at Loftus if you give away kickable opportunities," said the coach.

"Francois will just add to that because he'll drop goal from his own half as well."

Giteau said that he could draw confidence from his wins in Super Rugby with both the Force and the Brumbies in the past at Loftus, a venue notorious for seeing visiting teams run out of legs in the final quarter.

"The biggest thing for us that day was that we executed our game plan the best that we could," he said.

"It's a cliche but we hung in there for the whole eighty minutes and that's how we won those two games."

Deans felt that the Wallabies' win in Brisbane last time out would give the team confidence.

"It's a good background to have. It was a good performance but we've seen in the Springboks response at the weekend that we'll have to be even better," he said.