Unlucky Wallabies backrower Scott Higginbotham is expected to miss Saturday’s Rugby Championship match against South Africa with a back injury.

Higginbotham, who was named on the bench to face the Springboks at Loftus Versfeld, injured his back when skipper Nathan Sharpe landed on him during a training drill on Thursday.

The Queenslander failed to turn at at Friday’s captain’s run, undergoing physio treatment instead.

While the Wallabies have yet to put a red line through his name, he’s rated highly unlikely to play.

Queensland teammate Mike Harris will come into the team, adding another back to the bench.

It continues a horror run for Higginbotham in South Africa.

Two years ago Higginbotham was shattered when he was forced out of his planned Test debut in Pretoria when he pulled up sore with back spasms in the warm-up.

And earlier this week he was laid low after being hit by a gastro bug that affected six players.