The squad includes two changes to personnel and a positional switch in his starting XV for the final test.

2019 World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph Du Toit and scrum-half Faf De Klerk are both out of the series decider through injury.

Franco Mostert moves to flanker to cover for Du Toit while Montpellier scrum-half Cobus Reinack comes into the side in place of De Klerk, who has been ruled out due to a muscle strain in his leg.

Lock Lood de Jager is drafted into the starting XV to take Mostert’s original position.

Inside centre Damian de Allende will become the third Springbok in the Castle Lager Lions Series to reach the career milestone of 50 Test caps when he starts in Saturday’s decider in Cape Town.

De Allende will be paired with Lukhanyo Am and the duo in midfield.

Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe will play on the wings once again with Willie Le Roux offering support for them at full-back.

Jasper Wiese wears the number eight shirt for the second week running in the series and South Africa captain Siya Kolisi and Mostert will combine with him to form the back row.

De Jager will be joined by Eben Etzebeth in the second row while the front row will consist of Steven Kitshoff, Bongi Mbonambi and Frans Malherbe.

Head coach Jacques Nienaber opted to name three backs on the bench, with fly-half Morné Steyn joining Herschel Jantjies and Damian Willemse in the matchday 23.

It is the second time in the series that the coach has gone for a 5:3 split on the bench.

Springbok Squad v British & Irish Lions Third Test
15 – Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 64 caps
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse) – 16 caps
13 – Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 17 caps
12 – Damian de Allende (Munster) – 49 caps
11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 16 caps
10 – Handré Pollard (vice-captain, Montpellier) – 51 caps
9 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 15 caps
8 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 2 caps
7 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 42 caps
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 53 caps
5 – Lood de Jager (Sale Sharks) – 47 caps
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Toulon) – 88 caps
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 41 caps
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers) – 39 caps
1 – Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers) – 50 caps

Replacements:
16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 36 caps
17 – Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls) – 45 caps
18 – Vincent Koch (Saracens) – 22 caps
19 – Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 4 caps
20 – Kwagga Smith (Yamaha Júbilo) – 9 caps
21 – Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers) – 13 caps
22 – Morné Steyn (Vodacom Bulls) – 66 caps
23 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 9 caps

The post South Africa Side For Third Lions Test Announced appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Head coach Jacques Nienaber has made three changes to his starting XV and a further three to the bench ahead of this weekend’s pivotal clash.

Two of these changes are in the front-row, where Kitshoff – who made his Test debut against Ireland in 2016 – will make his 50th cap next to Bongi Mbonambi and Frans Malherbe in a new-look combination for the hosts.

First Test loosehead Ox Nché was ruled out due to the neck injury he picked up but fortunately for Nienaber, Mbonambi’s hamstring strain has recovered sufficiently for him to start the match.

Leicester Tigers’ Jasper Wiese earns his first Test start after making his debut off the replacements bench against Georgia earlier this month.

Handre Pollard is in line to equal and possibly break Jackie Snyman’s record of six career penalty goals against the British & Irish Lions when he starts at fly-half.

Nienaber has opted for a six-two split on the bench, which sees Trevor Nyakane and Vincent Koch provide cover at prop, while Marco van Staden takes over from Rynhardt Elstadt as loose forward cover along with Kwagga Smith.

Herschel Jantjies and Damian Willemse will provide support in the backline.

This comes after their unexpected switch to a 5-3 split last week for the first Test.

South Africa Team v Lions 2nd Test

15 – Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 63 caps
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse) – 15 caps
13 – Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 16 caps
12 – Damian de Allende (Munster) – 48 caps
11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 15 caps
10 – Handré Pollard (vice-captain, Montpellier) – 50 caps
9 – Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks) – 31 caps
8 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 1 cap
7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (DHL Stormers) – 57 caps
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 52 caps
5 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 41 caps
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Toulon) – 87 caps
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 40 caps
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers) – 38 caps

1 – Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers) – 49 caps

Replacements:
16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 35 caps
17 – Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls) – 44 caps
18 – Vincent Koch (Saracens) – 21 caps
19 – Lood de Jager (Sale Sharks) – 46 caps
20 – Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 3 caps
21 – Kwagga Smith (Yamaha Júbilo) – 8 caps
22 – Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers) – 12 caps
23 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 8 caps

To see the Lions squad, click here.

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