Coach Michael Cheika says the Wallabies’ poor record against the Springboks in South Africa is not just because of playing at altitude.

Australia have not beaten the Boks at altitude since their last trip to Bloemfontein in 2010, when they won 41-39 after a late penalty from Kurtley Beale.

The Wallabies have lost their last four Tests in South Africa, including an 18-10 defeat in Pretoria last year.

‘I don’t know, I just think it might be in our head,’ Cheika told reporters before the team’s departure when asked about playing at altitude. ‘You’ve just got to go there and do your best.

‘For us it’s just about this group of players getting a bit smarter, playing a bit more consistently, then we’ll see where we land.

‘It’s been a while since we’ve won there and to be honest, we haven’t accumulated a whole lot of wins over there full stop,’ Cheika added.

‘And if we want to take stepping stones to be a better team, we’ve got to be able to be mentally strong enough.’

WATCH: Wallabies depart for South Africa

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