Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has slammed his teams poor performance against Samoa last week and warned that they will need to raise their game significantly if they are to beat the Springboks this weekend.

Australian rugby was riding high in the wake of the Reds' Super Rugby success, but they were brought back down to earth with a thud when the Samoans outmuscled them in Sydney - a result that was met with public outrage.

Deans responded by making seven changes to the team for their opening Tri-Nations match against South Africa and explained that they require an attitude shift as well as a change in personnel in order to start their campaign on a winning note.

The Wallaby coach was forthright in his assessment of the teams performance against Samoa and has called for his side to put in the hard work required to prevail in the physical cauldron of Test rugby.

He said: "Last weekend, our standards were inadequate for what is required at Test level and we paid the price for that.

"There are no short cuts in Test rugby. There is no substitute for rolling up the sleeves and doing the little tasks that, while they might not carry the glamour, are critical for the overall success of the team," added Deans.

The Wallaby boss views the clash with the Springboks this weekend, their first appearance in Sydney since 2007, as the perfect opportunity for his team to turn things around. He explained that the disappointing result against Samoa would provide ideal motivation for his team to rectify matters.

He said: "Last Sunday was a massive wake up call for the group. We can't turn back the clock on that performance, it will stay with us as a reminder, but we do have total control as to how we respond.

"That is the challenge that we have ahead of us," added Deans.