It’s all or nothing in Cape Town for Warren Gatland and his British and Irish Lions, as they face South Africa in the third and final Test.
The series is poised at 1-1 after the Lions won the first Test and the Springboks battled their way to victory in the second.
Plenty has been spoken about the way South Africa opted for physicality and stopping any Lions momentum to pick up the win, but assistant coach Mzwandile Stick shifted the blame of slow pace onto the officials.
“If it takes two minutes to make a decision, they need two minutes, unfortunately that is not in our control,” he said. “If they (the Lions) want to lift the tempo up, that is their plan; if we want to slow the ball down and make it boring, we’ll do that – as other people are saying we’re playing boring rugby.”
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.
When is the match?
The Lions and Springboks kick off at 5pm BST on Saturday, 7 August.
Where can I watch it?
The match will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports The Lions. Subscribers can stream the match via the Sky Go app. Highlights of the third Test will be on Channel 4 and All4.
Team news
Warren Gatland has opted for multiple changes for the final Test, with Ken Owens, Wyn Jones, Bundee Aki and Josh Adams among those coming into the XV. Criticism came for not enough creativity in the second Test in particular, so these changes will look to aid that improvement.
Faf de Klerk and Pieter-Steph du Toit are both out injured for South Africa, with Cobus Reinach and Lood De Jager both coming into the side as the hosts look to put together back-to-back victories.
Line-ups
Lions: Liam Williams; Josh Adams, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Duhan van der Merwe; Dan Biggar, Ali Price; Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, Tadhg Furlong, Maro Itoje, Alun Wyn Jones (c), Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Mako Vunipola, Kyle Sinckler, Adam Beard, Sam Simmonds, Conor Murray, Finn Russell, Elliot Daly.
South Africa: Le Roux; Kolbe, Am, De Allende, Mapimpi; Pollard, Reinach; Kitshoff, Mbonambi, Malherbe, Etzebeth, De Jager, Kolisi (c), Mostert, Wiese
Replacements: Marx, Nyakane, Koch, Van Staden, Smith, Jantjies, Steyn, Willemse
Odds
Lions 8/5
Draw 22/1
South Africa 11/10
Prediction
The Lions want to make it a quicker game, but the Springboks have laid down a marker for what’s needed to stop that happening. the hosts to emerge victorious once more, leading to frustration for Gatland and Co.
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