Second-rowers aren’t supposed to be the smart ones.

The tall timber of rugby forward packs, they’re the heavy lifters requiring brawn rather than brains.

Equipped with hardness for the brutal collisions, pushing in the scrums, jumping in the lineouts and cleaning out at the rucks.

But it’s the intellectual side of the game which has seen quiet-achieving lock Rob Simmons make himself one of the first picked Wallabies under Ewen McKenzie.

Since former captain Ben Mowen signed to play in France, Simmons has been Australia’s lineout general – a job that taxes the cerebral side of the game as much as the physical.

“There’s a lot of tactics,” the 200cm skyscraper told AAP. “A lot of work goes in behind it.

“From week to week, the people who have the most meetings are the second-rowers.

“It gets tiring sometimes but if you enjoy it it’s not too bad.”

Lineout calling is a job the Queensland Country product set his sights on as a rookie at the Reds, around the same time he was impressed by former Test lock Dan Vickerman’s efficiency.

But he’s under pressure every week, especially at present with Australia’s set-pieces struggling for consistency with six changes at hooker – the lineout thrower – in eight Tests.

The pressure only increases on Sunday morning (AEST) when Simmons, 25, locks horns with Springboks great Victor Matfield in Cape Town.

The 37-year-old, with a South African record 115 caps of experience, has come out of retirement this year to have the Boks lineout the most successful in the Rugby Championship, laying the foundation for their dangerous driving maul.

“I was watching a few games on TV this week and it was 2005 and he was playing the Currie Cup final,” Simmons said. “Not really much has changed, he was the boss of the lineout then as well.

“It’s a challenge there. He changes things up all the time and that’s what he’s known for. It’s hard to know what he’s doing and to study him.”

Since McKenzie took over from Robbie Deans, Simmons has started all but one (due to injury) of the 22 Tests Australia has played.

But the 44-cap lock remains on his toes.

“I definitely don’t feel cemented – the way Ewen coaches you never will,” he said. “But I do feel comfortable in my game and with my role.”