Schmidt calls for more 'combative' Irish
Ireland were leading 26-10 going into the final quarter of the second Test – however, the Springboks fought back to win 32-26 after losing the first Test 20-26 at Newlands a week earlier.
"I think we can influence how they play by maybe being a little bit more combative," Schmidt told reporters on Thursday.
"We lost a lot of contact situations in that last 20 minutes and I think that is going to be a real challenge for us.
"I have no doubt that they want to start on the front foot. We are going to have to make sure that we don't allow them quite as much latitude to get that go-forward through that contact area."
Saturday's Test at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium will be the last game of the season for the Irish players after a long and arduous season. However, Schmidt said his players will have enough left in them for one final push to make history and win a series in South Africa.
"I am utterly confident that they will make me and themselves proud.
"They will make sure that Ireland will feel proud of them because that is the way they commit when going about their work.
"It has been a really long season – people are tired and that will maybe detract from people being at their optimum. But at the same time I don't think too many people will detect that because what they don't have in fresh reserves in energy, they will make up for in the full commitment they do in their job," Schmidt added.
The match will also be the last for scrumhalf Eoin Reddan who is retiring from the game.
Reddan has enjoyed a ten-year senior international career with Ireland making his debut against France in the Six Nations in February 2006 at the Stade de France. He is in line to win his 71st cap for Ireland this weekend against the Springboks and captained his country against Georgia in 2014.
"I really enjoyed working with Eoin for the last six years," said Schmidt. "He brings a real intelligence to the game and a real competitive edge as well.
"He has the ability to get the basics dead right, which allowed him to be incredibly efficient at scrumhalf and that is what you want when you are in a pivotal position."
By Warren Fortune, in Port Elizabeth
@FortuneWarren
@rugby365com
