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RUGBY LIONS TOUR:SUCH IS the attrition rate among the Lions squad at the end of a gruelling nine-month season and six-week tour that the management have felt compelled to augment four injury-enforced changes with another four of their own choosing. Alas, little about the tour suggests they have the strength in depth for such surgery, writes GERRY THORNLEYin Johannesburg

Offsetting this, however, has been the decision by Pieter de Villiers to make 10 changes to the side which completed a series win with last Saturday’s dramatic 28-25 victory in Pretoria. No doubt the 30 protagonists will be seriously up for it come 3pm local time on Saturday, but with Ellis Park yet to be sold out and a decidedly makeshift look to both line-ups, this game is rapidly looking like the deadest of dead rubbers.