RUGBY LIONS TOUR TO SOUTH AFRICA: Emerging Springboks V Lions, Venue:Newlands, Cape Town Kick-off:6.10pm (Irish time) On TV:Sky Sports 2

AT FACE value, this evening’s rendezvous with the Emerging Springboks is arguably a match the Lions could have done without. But it could prove enlightening for the Lions management with a view to Saturday’s second Test in Pretoria and, if it’s match day, then it must be another defining game for several of those involved.

They may be uncapped, but virtually all of the Emerging Springboks have played some Super 14 rugby, with one or two on the fringes of their franchises, but others are leading lights for their teams and might even have made the cut for the Test panel.

Nor have they been wrapped in cotton wool. Nine of the starting team, and another six on the bench, have featured for their provinces against the Lions and they also trained with/against the Springboks for three days the week before last before coming together again on Sunday.

Lions head coach Ian McGeechan is fairly sure they will probably be tougher opposition than any of the six provincial sides they have beaten thus far, and agreed with the concept of this game being a fourth Test.

No Lion has been asked to back up from last Saturday’s first Test, although four are on the bench. Ronan O’Gara becomes the fifth player to captain the Lions in eight matches to date, and the fourth Irishman.

“It’s our last midweek game,” said McGeechan. “This is his third Lions tour, he’s taken responsibility for doing things anyway and it’s just recognition of the time he’s been involved. I think it’s a great honour to be captain of the Lions and he deserves it.”

Having joked he took over as captain “against the mighty Southland in the 2005 tour” for the last 15 minutes or so, O’Gara said he hoped to bring “honesty and respect” as captain. “I think as a 10 you have to be a leader anyway, more by actions than words. I’d like to bring honesty and respect for each other. When that’s there, as I’ve seen with my home club, everything is possible.”

Speculating there might be four or five places still up for grabs, including outhalf, O’Gara said: “I hope so. I think so. I was told it was close leading into the first Test so I’d like to think it is more open now even after the weekend. I have to keep the pressure on Stephen (Jones) and that has to be the goal tomorrow night.”

With a knowing smile, he also observed dryly: “Sometimes it’s better not to get picked, I don’t know.”

Of the first Test defeat, he said: “We have to be disappointed with the way we played. The better team won in my view.”

Paul O’Connell has become an easy target on this tour, but O’Gara launched a fairly impassioned defence of the Lions captain. “There is a massive belief in the squad and that is so important,” said O’Gara. “I know Paul O’Connell and he is unwavering in his faith and belief in the players. He talked again about it this morning. He has been fantastic and I hope he gets out of this tour what he deserves but he is a phenomenal player and a great leader. Fellas have bought into it but he needs to be appreciated.”

Keith Earls makes his fifth start of the tour, whereas Tim Payne and John Hayes are pitched straight into the frontrow after arriving over the weekend. A win would provide a timely lift and some strong individual performances would give the Lions’ think tank more options. But if the forecast holds true and the Emerging Boks live up to their billing, the second half of the equation might prove easier to achieve than the former.

The Emerging Boks coach Dick Muir, who is also one of Pieter de Villiers’ assistants, is hoping his team of likely lads can inflict further psychological damage on the wounded Lions. “We are all working towards the goal of South Africa winning the Test series against the Lions and it would be great if we could make it two wins in a row after that victory by the Springboks in the first Test in Durban,” said Muir.

“It is going to be a big forward battle again and this game is really going to test our players. I’m looking forward to seeing the backrow combination playing together and we have an exciting half-back unit who play together regularly with the Golden Lions.

“This team is probably on a par with the Southern Kings side the Lions faced, although we won’t have the same level of experience. The Kings really got stuck into the Lions and we will take that same attitude into the game.”

This is a team picked on form and many believe the tall Blue Bulls fullback Zane Kirchner should have been included in the Springboks squad after helping the Bulls to win the Super 14 title. A physical and aggressive fullback who is difficult to stop, the 25-year-old’s time may come anyway. Another to watch out for is the big, ball-carrying Stormers number eight Duane Vermeulen – very much the prototype of a South African backrower.

With 350 players playing professionally abroad, the fear for South African rugby is a game such as this will effectively become a shop window for their best young talent, but the team’s forwards coach Jerome Paarwater quipped: “Luckily they’ve all got three-year contracts.”

Lions v Emerging Springboks

Lions

14 Shane Williams(Wales)
13 Riki Flutey(England)
12 Gordon D'Arcy(Ireland)
11 Luke Fitzgerald(Ireland)
10 Ronan O'Gara(Ireland) capt
9 Harry Ellis(England)
1 Tim Payne(England)
2 Ross Ford(Scotland)
3 John Hayes(Ireland)
4 Donncha O'Callaghan(Ireland)
5 Nathan Hines(Scotland)
6 Joe Worsley(England)
7 Martyn Williams(Wales)
8 Andy Powell(Wales)

Replacements:16 Lee Mears(England), 17 Phil Vickery(England), 18 Simon Shaw(England), 19 David Wallace(Ireland), 20 Mike Blair(Scotland), 21 James Hook(Wales), 22 Ugo Monye(England).

EMERGING SPRINGBOKS: Z Kirchner(Blue Bulls); L Vulindlu(Sharks), D van Rensburg(Leopards), M Newman (Western Province), B Basson(Griquas); E Rose(Golden Lions), J Vermaak(Golden Lions); W du Preez(Cheetahs), B Maku(Blue Bulls), W Kruger(Blue Bulls), S Sykes (Sharks), W Steenkamp (Blue Bulls), D Potgieter (Blue Bulls, capt), J Deysel (Sharks), D Vermeulen (Western Province). Replacements: T Liebenberg(Western Province), P Cilliers(Sharks), F van der Merwe(Golden Lions), J Botes(Sharks), H Adams(Blue Bulls), W de Waal(Western Province), D Demas(Cheetahs).

Referee:Alain Rolland (Ireland).

Assistant referees:Nigel Owens (Wales),Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa).

TMO:Shaun Veldsman.