Peter de Villiers (File)

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Fourie du Preez, Morne Steyn, Wynand Olivier and Jaque Fourie look a more solid and inform backline combination from scrumhalf to outside centre than the Du Preez, Ruan Pienaar, Jean de Villiers and Adrian Jacobs one that started the previous two Tests. Steyn and Fourie have the advantage of having played an entire Super 14 together, and Olivier played with them.

De Villiers is a great player and there should be no talk of him being thrown away, but he did not play in the closing stages of the Super 14 and he was not quite as sharp and as incisive in either Durban or Pretoria that he was last year. Jacobs is not only out of form, there is also talk that he is carrying a shoulder injury that requires an operation.

Fourie showed last week, when he scored the stupendous try that put the Boks into the lead for the first time, just how forceful he can be as a runner.

Coca-Cola Park has played host to some great games from the World Cup winner this season, and along with Olivier he was the form SA centre in the Super 14.

But these players can only be effective as a unit if they are presented with ball to play with, and that may be where the problem comes in.

The return to the starting unit of Heinrich Brussow should at least ensure that the Boks get it together at the breakdowns this time, and don’t take 60 minutes to get into the game in this important phase like they did last week.

It is the tight five though that could be problematic for the Boks. The suspension of Bakkies Botha has robbed them of their enforcer, the man you could in many ways describe as their tight five talisman.

When John Smit’s suitability for prop was discussed prior to the series, we were told by the management that Botha packing down behind him would ensure that Smit did not go backwards.

Well, Botha was there last week, and the Boks still went backwards for much of the game, with Simon Shaw, Botha’s opposite number, showing up just what a massive mistake Lions coach Ian McGeechan made in selecting his team for the first Test.

With Botha absent, Johann Muller, a man that coach Peter de Villiers showed no interest in last year, comes into the side at lock. Muller is an honest leader of the Sharks, and a player who may be underrated for the work he gets through in the tight-loose, but he is not a Bakkies Botha and is arguably not really in the mould of the man he replaces.

Indeed, you would fancy that had he not been concussed last week, Danie Rossouw would have ben the man slotting into the No 4 lock position for this game.

But the change to the second row is only part of the reason that Bok fans should be concerned that the tight five might be the Achilles heel. For Botha was not the best Bok tight forward last week, and neither was Matfield - Bismarck du Plessis was.

The hooker was initially going to be omitted from the entire squad, but mercifully De Villiers changed his mind about that - he told a press conference on Friday that he changed his mind five times during the week - and Du Plessis is at least on the bench.

Omitting him from the starting team may prove a costly mistake, however, particularly on a day when the forward pack, with Brussow at openside flank, does look more lightweight than in the past.

The Lions are a considerably weakened team from the one that lost the first two Tests, chiefly because of the injuries that have cut through their squad.

Yet while two of those injuries have been to props, the tight five is the one area where they still look formidable, and if you consider Andrew Sheridan played much of the game last week as a replacement and the experienced Phil Vickery was there for the first test, it is one of the areas where they boast continuity.

Should they dominate the Bok unit, flyhalf Stephen Jones would be well advised this time to make greater use of the boot to test wing Jongi Nokwe, who is vulnerable when fielding kicks, and newcomer Zane Kirchner.

The Boks may be playing at Coca-Cola Park, the Lions may be demoralised after their defeat last weeks, but there are ways where it is possible for them to win this game.

Teams Springboks: Zane Kirchner, Odwa Ndungane, Jaques Fourie, Wynand Olivier, Jongi Nokwe, Morne Steyn, Fourie du Preez, Ryan Kankowski, Juan Smith, Heinrich Brussow, Victor Matfield, Johann Muller, John Smit (captain), Chiliboy Ralepelle, Beast Mtwarira.

Replacements: Bismarck du Plessis, Gurthro Steenkamp, Deon Carstens, Steven Sykes, Pierre Spies, Ruan Pienaar, Frans Steyn.

British and Irish Lions: Rob Kearney (Ireland), Ugo Monye (England), Tommy Bowe (Ireland), Riki Flutey (England), Shane Williams (Wales), Stephen Jones (Wales), Mike Phillips (Wales), Jamie Heaslip (Ireland), Martyn Williams (Wales), Joe Worsley (England), Paul O’Connell (Ireland), Simon Shaw (England), Phil Vickery (England), Matthew Rees (Wales), Andrew Sheridan (England).

Reserves: Ross Ford (Scotland), John Hayes (Ireland), Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales), David Wallace (Ireland), Tom Croft (England), Harry Ellis (England), James Hook (Wales).

Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia).