- Lions 4/5, Draw 25/1, South Africa 11/10
Test dates:
1st Test: 24 July
2nd Test: 31 July
3rd Test: 7 August
The bulk of South Africa’s Rugby World Cup-winning squad has been named in Jacques Nienaber’s squad but the bookies remain unconvinced that they can overcome an 18-month period of inactivity and beat the Lions, as they did in 2009.
All of the heroes of 2019 except for the retired trio of Tendai Mtawarira, Francois Louw and Schalk Brits, and the injured Warrick Gelant, will get the chance to stake their claim and create another piece of history.
And talking of milestones, Frans Steyn and Morné Steyn are in line to experience the rare honour of facing the Lions for a second time.
There are also eight uncapped players in Joseph Dweba (hooker), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (lock), Jasper Wiese (loose forward), Sanele Nohamba (scrumhalf), Wandisile Simelane (centre), Yaw Penxe, Rosko Specman (both wings) and Aphelele Fassi (full-back).
Springbok squad:
Props: Thomas du Toit (Cell C Sharks, 12 caps, 0 pts), Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers, 47 caps, 5 pts), Vincent Koch (Saracens, 21 caps, 0 pts), Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers, 38 caps, 5 pts), Ox Nché (Cell C Sharks, 1 cap, 0 pts), Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls, 42 caps, 5 pts), Coenie Oosthuizen (Sale Sharks, 30 caps, 20 pts)
Hookers: Joseph Dweba (Bordeaux-Bègles, uncapped), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears, 33 caps, 25 pts), Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers, 36 caps, 35 pts), Scarra Ntubeni (DHL Stormers, 1 cap, 0 pts)
Locks: Lood de Jager (Sale Sharks, 45 caps, 25 pts), Eben Etzebeth (Toulon, 85 caps, 15 pts), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (Montpellier, uncapped), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat, 39 caps, 5 pts), Marvin Orie (DHL Stormers, 3 caps, 0 pts), RG Snyman (Munster, 23 caps, 5 pts)
Loose forwards: Dan du Preez (Sale Sharks, 4 caps, 0 pts), Pieter-Steph du Toit (DHL Stormers, 55 caps, 25 pts), Siya Kolisi (captain – Cell C Sharks, 50 caps, 30 pts), Kwagga Smith (Yamaha Júbilo, 6 caps, 0 pts), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls, 3 caps, 0 pts), Duane Vermeulen (Vodacom Bulls, 54 caps, 15 pts), Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
Utility forwards: Jean-Luc du Preez (Sale Sharks, 13 caps, 10 pts), Rynhardt Elstadt (Toulouse, 2 caps, 0 pts)
Scrum-halves: Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks, 30 caps, 20 pts), Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers, 10 caps, 20 pts), Sanele Nohamba (Cell C Sharks, uncapped), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier, 14 caps, 30 pts)
Fly-halves: Elton Jantjies (Pau, 37 caps, 281 pts), Handré Pollard (Montpellier, 48 caps 457 pts), Morné Steyn (Vodacom Bulls, 66 caps, 736 pts)
Midfielders: Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks, 15 caps, 15 pts), Damian de Allende (Munster, 47 caps, 30 pts), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles, 46 caps, 60 pts), Wandisile Simelane (Emirates Lions, uncapped), Frans Steyn (Toyota Cheetahs, 67 caps, 141 pts)
Outside Backs: Aphelele Fassi (Cell C Sharks, uncapped), Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse, 14 caps, 40 pts), Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz, 61 caps, 60 pts), Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks, 14 caps, 70 pts), Sbu Nkosi (Cell C Sharks, 11 caps, 40 pts), Yaw Penxe (Cell C Sharks, uncapped), Rosko Specman (Toyota Cheetahs, uncapped), Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers, 6 caps, 5 pts).
