Duhan van der Merwe has been named ahead of Josh Adams for the first Test between the British & Irish Lions and Springboks in Cape Town on Saturday.
On Wednesday, Lions coach Warren Gatland announced his side for the first Test against the Springboks at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday (kick-off at 6pm).
Tour captain Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys, Wales) will skipper the Lions having recovered from a dislocated shoulder sustained in the tourists 28-10 win over Japan at Murrayfield Stadium just 24 days ago.
In doing so, the Welsh lock will win his 10th-successive Test cap for the Lions in Cape Town, moving him into an illustrious list of Lions greats to have made 10 Test appearances or more, including Gareth Edwards (10), Graham Price (12), Mike Gibson (12) Dickie Jeeps (13) and Willie-John McBride (17).
Jones is the first, however, to play 10 Tests for the famous touring side in the professional era.
The iconic Welshman will be joined in the second row by Maro Itoje (Saracens, England) who claims his fourth successive Lions Test cap.
Elsewhere, Wyn Jones (Scarlets, Wales), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, England) and Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby, Ireland) make up the front row.
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, England) packs down on the blindside flank to win his third Lions test appearance, his previous two coming from the bench in the second and third Tests in New Zealand in 2017. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, England) is named on the openside, with Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby, Ireland) filling the No 8 shirt.
After starring against the Stormers this past Saturday, scrumhalf Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland) joins No 10 Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints, Wales) in the halfback berths.
Robbie Henshaw (Leinster Rugby, Ireland), who made his comeback from a hamstring injury over the weekend, partners Elliot Daly (Saracens, England) in midfield.
Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, England) wins his fourth Lions Test cap as he takes his spot on the wing opposite Duhan van der Merwe (Worcester Warriors, Scotland), with fellow Scot Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs, Scotland) rounding off the side at fullback.
The starting XV includes three Scots for the first time since the 1997 tour to South Africa, when current Lions assistant coach Gregor Townsend was named alongside Alan Tait and Tom Smith for the first and second Tests.
B&I Lions – 15 Stuart Hogg (Scotland), 14 Anthony Watson (England), 13 Elliot Daly (England), 12 Robbie Henshaw (Ireland), 11 Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland), 10 Dan Biggar (Wales), 9 Ali Price (Scotland), 8 Jack Conan (Ireland), 7 Tom Curry (England), 6 Courtney Lawes, 5 Alun Wyn Jones (captain, Wales), 4 Maro Itoje (England), 3 Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie (England), 1 Wyn Jones (Wales).
Substitutes: 16 Ken Owens (Wales), 17 Rory Sutherland (Scotland), 18 Kyle Sinckler (England), 19 Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), 20 Hamish Watson (Scotland), 21 Conor Murray (Ireland), 22 Owen Farrell (England), 23 Liam Williams (Wales).
TEAM NEWS ?
The moment we’ve all waited FOUR years for is here…?
The #LionsRugby team to face the @Springboks in the First Test of the #CastleLionsSeries #BoksvLions
— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) July 21, 2021
