Veteran gloveman Mark Boucher insists the third Test is far from decided despite conceding the hosts have the upper hand heading into day four.
The tourists will start day four 151 in arrears of the Australians who have yet to lose a wicket in their second innings on a deteriorating SCG deck.
Speaking at stumps on day three, Boucher, who starred with the bat for South Africa hitting 89, turned to the history books in an attempt to unsettle Ricky Ponting's men.
"The game's not finished yet, there's a history of Australian sides being bowled out cheaply at the SCG - 111 (in 1994) - I'm sure you guys remember it," Boucher said.
"But look our backs are up against the wall in this game, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand that, but we've got to try and look at some positives and we have got fighters on our team."
"We've proven that over the whole series and I know there's a change room full of boys there that won't go down without a fight."
The Proteas' task will be made more difficult by the injury woes of skipper Graeme Smith, who will return to the ground on Tuesday after flying to Melbourne on Monday to seek treatment on his injured hand.
Smith is unlikely to take any further part in proceedings.
"Graeme went to Melbourne today to have the finger re-examined by the surgeon there," South Africa media manager Michael Owen-Smith confirmed.
"It's been put back in a fresh cast, I understand his elbow was also treated but I'm not sure exactly what form of treatment took (place)."
With his skipper absent, Boucher led by example batting for more than four hours before he was bowled by Peter Siddle attempting to force the action 11 runs shy of a sixth Test century.
And while the veteran gloveman made batting look relatively easy, he predicted runs would be hard to come by for both sides as the match progresses.
"It's up there with the top three toughest wickets I've ever had to bat on on day three," the veteran of 122 Tests said.
"It's not nice staring down the wicket and knowing that you've got to run on the side of it so you don't fall down. But we can't control that, that's the playing surface that' we've been given and we've just got to try and play on it as best we can."
Siddle, who was the hero with the ball for the hosts on day three capturing career best figures of 5-59, labelled the opening session of the penultimate day as crucial.
"It all depends on how we start I suppose, the first session is going to be the big one," Siddle said.
"We've just got to try and lose the least amount of wickets in that session and work hard and just try and score freely, but it's not going to be the easiest wicket to score freely on."