The Lions backline against South Africa for the second Test on Saturday will contain four Irishman after Rob Keaney and Luke Ftizgerald were selected to play alongside Brian O’Driscoll and Tommy Bowe at Loftus Versfeld. Veteran England lock Simon Shaw will join captain Paul O’Connell in the secondrow in a team that shows five changes from the 26-21 defeat last week.
As expected there are changes in the frontrow, with Matthew Rees and Adam Jones joining Welsh team-mate Gethin Jenkins, while there is no place in the 22 for either Phil Vickery or Lee Mears, who underperformed badly in Durban.
The backrow remains the same with Tom Croft being joined by David Wallace and Jamie Heaslip, who bring the Irish contingent to seven. There are six Welshmen on the side with Croft and Shaw flying the English flag.
There have not been as many Irish players in a Lions Test team since 1938, when eight were fielded in the third Test against South Africa, which was won by 21 points to 16 in Cape Town.
Outhalf Ronan O'Gara, who captained the midweek side in their draw against the Emerging Springboks on Tuesday, is named on the bench to deputise for Stephen Jones. Alongside him are hooker and lone Scotsman Ross Ford, lock Alun Wyn-Jones, prop Andrew Sheridan, flanker Martyn Williams, scrumhalf Harry Ellis and wing Shane Williams.
Shaw's inclusion caps a remarkable Lions career that began in 1997, though his 16th appearance on Saturday will be his first time to start a Test, as it will be for Fitzgerald and Kearney.
The latter's inclusion is largely down to the foot injury stll hampering Lee Byrne but Fitzgerald played himself on to the left wing with an assured performance against the Emerging Springboks, while Ugo Monye's failure to convert three try-scoring opportunites in the first Test has cost him a place in the 22.
That said, Kearney performed brilliantly under the high ball after replacing Byrne last week and showed few signs of weakness in an outing that would certainly have given the coaching staff a heacache had the Welshman recovered in time.
"As a squad, the Lions still have everything to play for," head coach Ian McGeechan said today. "The players know that the outcome of the Test series comes down to Saturday, and they are determined to take the series to a decider in Johannesburg.
"There were many positives to come out of the first Test that we have built upon this week.
"We have made five changes to the starting XV, but it will not change the way we want to play.
"Both teams will be better for the run last weekend, and we know we will have to step up our performance to ensure that we again take the game to the opposition and are more accurate in taking our opportunities."
Lions:R Kearney (Leinster and Ireland); T Bowe (Ospreys and Ireland), B O'Driscoll (Leinster and Ireland), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues and Wales), L Fitzgerald (Leinster and Ireland); S Jones (Scarlets and Wales), M Phillips (Ospreys and Wales); G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues and Wales), M Rees (Scarlets and Wales), A Jones (Ospreys and Wales), S Shaw (Wasps and England), P O'Connell (Munster and Ireland, capt), T Croft (Leicester and England), D Wallace (Munster and Ireland), J Heaslip (Leinster and Ireland).
Replacements:R Ford (Edinburgh and Scotland), A Sheridan (Sale Sharks and England), A-W Jones (Ospreys and Wales), M Williams (Cardiff Blues and Wales), H Ellis (Leicester and England), R O'Gara (Munster and Ireland), S Williams (Ospreys and Wales).
South Africa:F Steyn (Sharks); JP Pietersen (Sharks), A Jacobs (Sharks), J de Villiers (Stormers), B Habana (Bulls); R Pienaar (Sharks), F du Preez (Bulls); T Mtawarira (Sharks), B du Plessis (Sharks), J Smit (Sharks), B Botha (Bulls), V Matfield (Bulls), S Burger (Stormers), J Smith (Cheetahs), P Spies (Bulls).
Replacements:C Ralepelle (Bulls), D Carstens (Sharks), A Bekker (Stormers), D Rossouw (Bulls), H Brussow (Cheetahs), J Fourie (Lions), M Steyn (Bulls).
