By Jacques van der Westhuyzen in Perth
The smile said it all. Victory over the All Blacks in New Zealand but now Schalk Brits, having had a taste of Tri-Nations rugby, wants more.
And he's going to get his big opportunity this weekend when the Springboks face off with Australia at Subiaco Oval on Saturday.
Called up to the team last week to replace the injured John Smit, Brits got seven minutes of the action in Dunedin on Saturday when he came on for Bismarck du Plessis, but the suspension for one game of the powerful Sharks No 2 means Brits will start, for the first time, in the middle of the Bok front row this week.
"It was a short spell, but, oh, so sweet," said a smiling Brits after Saturday's win.
"I just try to enjoy myself every time I get on to the pitch. On Saturday I wanted to bring some energy to the proceedings and hopefully I did so, but now, having experienced that, I want more."
Brits added: "The atmosphere and intensity (on the field at Carisbrook) were certainly a notch or two higher than anything I've experienced before in my career, but I know I'm ready for the step up."
The Stormers hooker will start against the Wallabies this week, with Cheetahs players Adriaan Strauss serving as cover on the bench. Strauss will join the squad at the Burswood Entertainment Complex, just outside Perth, later today in place of the suspended Du Plessis who yesterday copped a three-week ban for striking All Blacks flanker Adam Thomson on Saturday.
Bok coach Peter de Villiers may look to re-arrange his loose-trio for the clash against the Wallabies.
Both Pierre Spies and Ryan Kankowski are expected to come into the selection mix this week.
Word here is that the more mobile Spies may move into the starting XV in place of Joe van Niekerk, while Kankowski looks set to replace Luke Watson on the replacements bench.