Springboks stars out of Lions series decider

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South Africa stars Pieter-Steph du Toit and Faf de Klerk failed to retrieve from injuries and volition miss the decisive last Test against the British and Irish Lions successful Cape Town connected Sunday (2am kickoff AEST, exclusive sum from 12.30am connected Stan Sport.)

There was besides nary spot for experienced guardant Duane Vermeulen, who joined the Springboks campy connected Sunday and was wide expected to marque the matchday 23.

The unavailability of du Toit and De Klerk, owed to enarthrosis and musculus issues respectively, meant manager Jacques Nienaber was forced connected Tuesday into calling connected Lood de Jager astatine fastener and Cobus Reinach astatine halfback.

Watch the 3rd and last Test betwixt the British & Irish Lions and South Africa's Springboks unrecorded lone connected Stan Sport this Sunday 8 August from 12.30AM AEST

Springboks stars Pieter Steph du Toit and Faf de Klerk volition miss the 3rd Test against the Lions. (Getty)

De Jager's inclusion pushed Franco Mostert into the escaped guardant trio.

Nienaber besides amazingly opted to dump the effectual "Bomb Squad" 6-2 forwards-backs divided successful the reserves for a 5-3 option.

That opened a abstraction for seasoned backmost Morne Steyn successful spot of de Jager.

"This radical of players are among a fistful of players successful the past of South African rugby that person an accidental to clinch a bid against the Lions aft winning the Rugby World Cup, and each subordinate successful this squad understands what a uncommon honour that is," Nienaber said.

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The Lions dropped Stuart Hogg, Taulupe Faletau and Owen Farrell and demoted Conor Murray, Mako Vunipola and Luke Cowan-Dickie.

There were six changes to the lineup, positive six successful the reserves, arsenic the Lions reacted connected Tuesday to being thrashed 27-9 successful the 2nd Test past play and blowing their archetypal accidental to clinch the bid successful Cape Town.

The backline, which hasn't engineered a try, was shook up.

Ali Price returns astatine halfback, wrong centre Bundee Aki and helping Josh Adams — the tour's starring try-scorer — marque their archetypal bid appearances, and fullback Liam Williams has a archetypal commencement aft coming disconnected the seat successful the archetypal Test and being near retired wholly successful the second.

The forwards were changed lone successful the beforehand row, wherever Ken Owens swapped places with Cowan-Dickie astatine hooker and Wyn Jones replaced Vunipola astatine loosehead prop.

Jones was acceptable to commencement the archetypal Test but a enarthrosis wounded delayed his Lions Test debut until now.

Lock Adam Beard, No.8 Sam Simmonds and five-eighth Finn Russell person a accidental to diagnostic for the archetypal clip successful the bid aft being named successful the reserves, wherever prop Kyle Sinckler is besides picked taxable to the result of a disciplinary proceeding aboriginal connected Tuesday.

"We've nary excuses from past week, the Springboks enactment america nether unit successful the 2nd fractional and deserved the win," Lions manager Warren Gatland said.

"We person to beryllium overmuch amended than that 2nd fractional performance, and I judge we volition be."

SPRINGBOKS (15-1): Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Jasper Wiese, Franco Mostert, Siya Kolisi (c), Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff

Reserves: Malcolm Marx, Trevor Nyakane, Vincent Koch, Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith, Herschel Jantjies, Morné Steyn, Damian Willemse

LIONS (15-1): Liam Williams, Josh Adams, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Duhan van der Merwe, Danny Biggar, Ali Price, Jack Conan, Tom Curry, Courtney Lawes, Alun Wyn Jones (c), Maro Itoje, Tadhg Furlong, Ken Owens, Wyn Jones

Reserves: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Mako Vunipola, Kyle Sinckler, Adam Beard, Sam Simmonds, Conor Murray, Finn Russell, Elliot Daly

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