On paper Wales are huge underdogs against mighty Springboks but Gatland is confident a summer build-up, which has included a double header against England and a gruelling training camp in Poland, will see his team peaking at just the right time.

Gatland said: “It's been a great couple of months having the players together as a squad and we are pretty happy with the way the August games went. We are really in pretty good shape.

“The last three times we have played South Africa there has been very little in the scores.

“We have scored them seven tries to six. Now we've just got to get over the final hurdle and get that win.

“We can match their forwards. We are going to put out the strongest side we can. I don't think that in the last few times we've played them we have been far away from them as a team.”

While admitting South Africa are past masters at peaking when it matters most – Gatland is predicting Wales’ new-look squad posses the ammunition to nullify the powerful Springbok pack.  

He said: “They are very good at what they do. They put the ball up in the air and use power runners. We pretty well know what we are going to get.

“They'll play to their strengths and that's what they are good at doing. They are certainly a hard side to beat. But playing them first up in this competition is a great opportunity for us.”