Port Elizabeth - Proteas captain Faf du Plessis says his side may look to bait David Warner into a Test match ban during the second Test in Port Elizabeth.

READ: Top XI Warner v De Kock articles

Warner was fined 75% of his match fee and given three demerit points from the ICC after this week's drama following his heated confrontation with Quinton de Kock in the first Test. 

De Kock, meanwhile, was fined 25% of his match fee and given just one demerit point. 

It means that Warner is just one offence away from picking up a two-match Test ban. Du Plessis and Proteas speedster Kagiso Rabada are in the same boat. 

Speaking to media in PE on Thursday on the eve of the second Test, Du Plessis perhaps surprisingly acknowledged that pushing Warner over the edge could be an intelligent strategy from a South African point of view.

"I didn't think of it before the series," Du Plessis said.

"It's probably a little bit smart being like that if you can entice someone into making a mistake to get them missing the rest of the series ... that's probably a tactical move.

"Before we came into the series, when I looked at all the demerit points all of it was in the South African team's side ... there wasn't much in the Australian team.

"Now that it's happened, it's possibly an angle that we can look to get to.

"But, once again, for me it's more about your presence as a player than the stuff that comes out of your mouth."

The Proteas are desperate for a win in PE, having lost the first Test in Durban by 118 runs. 

Play on Friday starts at 10:00.