Lions v All Blacks: Team sheets, kick off time

There is no doubt that Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series is heating up after the All Blacks claimed an impressive win in the opening Test at Ellis Park, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that there is a Tuesday night kick off to look forward to as the Lions look to give South African fans something to shout about.

The All Blacks have already swept past the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls before overpowering the Springboks, and so the Lions will be desperate to give a good account of themselves.

With the second Test taking place in Cape Town this Saturday, the All Blacks have understandably selected a largely second-string side, although there will be plenty of interest in the performance of Richie Mo’unga as he makes his first appearance for New Zealand since the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Meanwhile, the Lions have been boosted by the return of utility back Quan Horn and prop Boan Venter, who have been released from the Springboks to feature at Ellis Park on Tuesday.

The Lions’ clash against the All Blacks will kick off at 19:00

Lions

15 Quan Horn, 14 Kelly Mpeku, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Richard Kriel, 11 Erich Cronjé, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Nico Steyn, 8 Francke Horn (c), 7 Batho Hlekani, 6 Siba Mahashe, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Sebastian Lombard, 2 PJ Botha, 1 SJ Kotze.

Replacements: 16 Morné Brandon, 17 Boan Venter, 18 RF Schoeman, 19 Hyron Andrews, 20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 21 JC Pretorius, 22 Haashim Pead, 23 Boeta Chamberlain.

New Zealand

15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Fehi Fineanganofo, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Timoci Tavatavanawai, 11 Emoni Narawa, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Noah Hotham, 8 Semisi Ta’eiloa, 7 Ethan Blackadder, 6 Wallace Sititi, 5 Patrick Tuipulotu (captain), 4 Sam Darry, 3 Pasilio Tosi, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Siale Lauaki

Replacements: 16 Bradley Slater, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Saula Ma’u, 19 Jamie Hannah, 20 Peter Lakai, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Josh Jacomb, 23 Anton Lienert-Brown

Exciting game in store

All Blacks coach Dave Rennie said he was happy with the manner in which the tour had been handled to date.

“With the naming of this matchday 23, everyone currently in the squad will have played on tour, which is great for creating depth and competition for places in the Test team.

“I’ve been impressed with the way that all players in our squad have responded to the quick turnaround between games.  The Lions match comes just three days after the first Test match but everyone has been involved in preparing this team to play.

“We know we will have to be at our very best again to prepare for what we know will be another physical match against a Lions side that has been lying in wait.”

MATCH FACTS

• Tuesday’s match will be an historic first encounter between the Lions and the All Blacks.  The All Blacks played the Lions predecessor Transvaal selection sides eight times between 1928 and 1976.  The locals won the very first match 6-0, with the All Blacks winning the next seven.
• The 1928 match was the very first game ever played at Ellis Park, and helped establish the legacy for what is one of world rugby’s most iconic grounds.

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry fixtures and results

• Friday, 7 August: Stormers 21-38 New Zealand, Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
• Tuesday, 11 August: Sharks 0-54 New Zealand, Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
• Saturday, 15 August: Bulls 19-50 New Zealand, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
• Saturday, 22 August: First Test, Springboks 16-33 New Zealand, Ellis Park, Johannesburg
• Tuesday, 25 August: Lions vs New Zealand, Ellis Park, Johannesburg – Kick off at 19:00
• Saturday, 29 August: Second Test, Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town – 17:10
• Saturday, 5 September: Third Test, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg – 17:10
• Saturday, 12 September: Fourth Test, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, United States – 23:00 (SA time)