Bakkies Botha lost his appeal on Thursday against a two-week suspension for charging into Lions prop Adam Jones and was left out of a much-changed South Africa team to start the third test.
The Lions also made changes on Thursday, mainly because of injuries, but recalled prop Phil Vickery to again face Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira, the loosehead who dominated him in the first team in Durban.
Botha's forward's challenge during the series-clinching 28-25 victory at Pretoria in the second test left Jones with a dislocated shoulder which ruled the Wales front row out of the final match at Ellis Park on Saturday.
He lost the appeal shortly before the South Africans named a lineup that includes only five starters from the victory at Loftus Versfeld. Schalk Burger, who was suspended for eight weeks for eye-gouging Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald only 32 seconds into that game, is also missing.
Only front props John Smit and Tendai Mtawarira, lock forward Victor Matfield, back row Juan Smith and scrumhalf Fourie de Preez remained from the starting 15 from Pretoria where the Boks took an unbeatable 2-0 lead thanks to a last minute matchwinning penalty by Morne Steyn. Steyn starts the third test at flyhalf.
Chiliboy Ralepelle will play at hooker, Johann Muller partners Matfield in the second row, Heinrich Brussow replaces Burger at openside flanker and Ryan Kankowski plays at No. 8.
The Lions will face a new back five with the uncapped Zane Kirchner at fullback behind a threequarter line of Jongi Nokwe, Wynand Olivier, Jaque Fourie and Odwa Ndungane.
Coach Peter de Villiers, who has come under fire from the Lions for appearing to defend Burger's eye-gouging of Fitzgerald, said that, apart from the suspended Burger and Botha, everyone was fit to play.
"Everybody was available for selection," he said. "It's such a huge occasion for the 28 that, come Saturday, when we get the trophy, we want the guys to feel as one on the pitch. The hard yards have been done already by then so I feel it's appropriate to give the guys the same opportunity to show why they are in the squad in the first place."
Vickery's return to the starting lineup is a surprise after he was taken off early in the second half of the Lions 26-21 loss in Durban in the first test after being totally outscrummaged by Mtawarira. But the Lions lost props Jones and Gethin Jenkins to injuries in Pretoria and have only John Hayes and Tim Payne as replacements. Hayes will be on the bench with Andrew Sheridan back on the starting lineup at loosehead.
With Brian O'Driscoll and Jamie Roberts missing the game through injury, Tommy Bowe, normally a winger, lines up at outside center alongside New Zealand-born Riki Flutey, who makes his first Lions test start. Ugo Monye and Shane Williams start on the wings and Joe Worsley and Martyn Williams come into the back row.
___
Lineups:
South Africa: Zane Kirchner, Odwa Ndungane, Jaque Fourie, Wynand Olivier, Jongi Nokwe, Morne Steyn, Fourie de Preez, Tendai Mtawarira, Chiliboy Ralepelle, John Smit (captain), Johann Muller, Victor Matfield, Heinrich Brussow, Juan Smith, Ryan Kankowski.
Replacements: Bismarck de Plesses, Gurthro Steenkamp, Deon Carstens, Steven Sykes, Pierre Spies, Ruan Pienaar, Francois Steyn.
Lions: Rob Kearney, Ugo Monye, Tommy Bowe, Riki Flutey, Shane Williams, Stephen Jones, Mike Phillips, Andrew Sheridan, Matthew Rees, Phil Vickery, Simon Shaw, Paul O'Connell (captain), Joe Worsley, Martyn Williams, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: Ross Ford, John Hayes, Alun-Wyn Jones, David Wallace, Tom Croft, Harry Ellis, James Hook.
