Berrick Barnes is confident he can handle the oversize midfielders the Springboks will send his way this weekend – thanks to extra curricular training sessions with former league teammate Shane Webcke.

Barnes is expecting South Africa to see more heavy traffic in Durban after he tackled above his weight all night in the sides’ last encounter in Perth a month ago.

But he says he got plenty of practice at handling the likes of Pierre Spies and Joe van Niekerk with his ex Brisbane Broncos team-mate and NRL great Webcke.

“I remember doing it with Webcke after training, he’s the hardest bloke I’ve ever tackled,” Barnes said.

“I used to go out every Friday and try and knock him over. He’d just stand there off two steps and block me and I’d fall on my arse, that was about it but he’s made of granite that bloke.”

Barnes will be keen to put the memory of All Blacks opposite number Ma’a Nonu running riot in Auckland behind him on Saturday.

“I was guilty against the All Blacks, I fell off a few (tackles) and I was pretty dirty at myself so I don’t want that to happen next game so I take pride in the defence and it’s got to be up there again,” he said.

As well as the loose forwards, Barnes is also bracing himself for crafty Springboks centres Jean de Villiers and Adrian Jacobs to swap between inside and outside centre.

“I imagine they’ll probably chop and change a little bit there,” he said.

“De Villiers is a very smart sort of player, he’s pretty nifty and he sort of controls their backline, so as a 12 you have to be pretty on your toes to look after him because he obviously along with (Butch) James controls where they’re destined to go in the backline.

“What is he, six-three or six-four almost? But he’s quick too, that’s the other thing that you often don’t see.”

Barnes will play his first Test on South African soil at ABSA Stadium and agreed the trip across the world beat a cross-town bus ride in the NRL, which he left to join the Queensland Reds in 2006.

“I didn’t think I’d get to this Wallaby level,” he said.

“I’m pretty stoked to be here and I don’t take it for granted that’s for sure.

“But the real reason for me coming across here was to play in different countries and to get that opportunity, I think that’s the greatest thing that rugby offers.

“You get to play in hostile environments in places like Africa and these sort of joints so I’ll be looking forward to it.”

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© AAP 2012

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