After a week of high drama we finally get down to some serious rugby - with South Africa facing the British and Irish Lions in the third and final Test in Johannesburg on Saturday.

The off-field drama was probably not the way the coaches wanted to spice up the final match of the tour, but it certainly ensured that the stakes were raised.

As Lions coach Ian McGeechan said: "It is a new Test match in many respects."

Yes, both teams are showing significant changes from last week's brutal battle in Pretoria - the Boks have 10 changes and the Lions eight.

But it is the 'he said, no he didn't' media spat that grabbed the headlines and overshadowed the build-up in what has been a very intriguing series.

Changes aside, there is plenty to play for, for both teams.

The Springboks are targeting an elusive series whitewash over the Lions and the tourists are hoping to get a win that will "prove" they were indeed unlucky in the first two Tests.

As the Lions coach, McGeechan, and his team, told us ad nauseam this past week, they are very keen to finish with a win. We also had to listen to the "we could have sat here with two wins" refrain .

But, as they begrudgingly acknowledged, the Boks have already won the series.

While both coaches also hauled out the usual cliches - the "lot of plusses" they will take from the previous games - all that matters now is what they will produce during Saturday's 80 minutes of action.

The Lions truly believe they have a winning recipe, even though they have yet to see any dividends for the faith they have shown in McGeechan's master plan.

But they are not about to deviate from what they believe in.

"We certainly won't give up on the way we've been playing," McGeechan said, adding: "If we get it right we will be in there with a shot of winning."

The numerous changes do mean, as McGeechan said, that this is a new Test in many respects.

"The players out there will be wanting to respond very positively," he said about the changes and team he will be fielding on Saturday.

Regardless of the series loss, McGeechan feels that a win in any form on Saturday will be a "very sweet" victory.

He also knows that his team did fall short in certain areas in the first two outings.

"I think defensively we need to do a bit more," he said about the Boks' five tries to four in the first two Tests.

"We are very focussed on playing the best rugby we can and hopefully producing another good Test match at the weekend."

One of the reasons why the Boks have managed to outscore the Lions is their ability to get over the advantage line from set pieces.

"South Africa do have very good first phase attack," the Lions mentor said.

McGeechan, who described South Africa as probably the best side in the world at the moment, was at pains to stress that his team's tackling will have to be out of the top drawer.

"South Africa deserves a lot of credit, their finishing has been top class and their defence has been top class too," he said of the Boks.

However, he promised that his team will be "up for the third Test".

"The word to describe how the players approach it [the game] is 'keen'. The guys are keen to show what the Lions are about."

Bok coach Peter de Villiers, who said he wants to inject "new energy" into his team with the 10 changes, is looking to carry the momentum from the first two Test wins into Saturday's game and through into the Tri-Natons.

He echoed similar sentiments as McGeechan about where the Boks' strength is.

"If we can set up good first-phase ball, we will play like we always wanted to play... play the situation," De Villiers said, when quizzed about his team's tactics.

"There will be kicks, there will be rucks and we'll play the situation. The only thing I do hope is that they [the players] will make good decisions on the field"

De Villiers also said his team won't change their game plan, despite the numerous changes.

"When you change personnel there will always be areas you focus on more than others, but the general game plan will always be the same," the Bok mentor said.

He said that when he named his original 28-man squad, before the tour, he selected it with a specific game plan in mind.

"These players complement each other," De Villiers added.

Players to watch:

For South Africa: In any team that shows 10 changes you will have many new faces to look at. However, critics begged the Bok coach, De Villiers, to name fullback Zane Kirchner, outside centre Jaque Fourie, inside centre Wynand Olivier and flyhalf Morné Steyn in his starting backline. They now have their wish and it's up to these players to show they deserve to be there. Up front players like No.8 Ryan Kankowski, openside flank Heinrich Brüssow and hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle deserve more than just a cursory glance.

For the British and Irish Lions: Much was made of right wing Ugo Monye before the first Test, when he squandered two clear-cut scoring chances. He gets a chance to make amends. The new centre combinations of Tommy Bowe and Riki Flutey, while left wing Shane Williams also finally gets a run in the starting XV. Veteran Martyn Williams would like to show he deserved his call-up earlier, while the spotlight is likely to shine brightly on the front row of Phil Vickery, Matthew Rees and Andrew Sheridan. Head to head: You won't look any further than the front row for the Tendai Mtawarira (South Africa) versus Phil Vickery (Lions) rematch. It will be the most anticipated encounter in weeks. After Mtawarira's demolition job in the first Test, Vickery will have a big score to settle. The flyhalf battle could also be intriguing, with Morné Steyn (South Africa) getting to prove his worth against one of the best in Stephen Jones (Lions). The breakdown will be another key aspect and here we have Heinrich Brüssow (South Africa) up against two Lions fetchers in Martyn Williams and Joe Worsley.

Most recent results:
2009: SA won 28-25, Pretoria
2009: SA won 26-21, Durban
1997: SA won 35-16, Johannesburg
1997: Lions won 18-15, Durban
1997: Lions won 25-16, Cape Town
1980: Lions won 17-13, Pretoria
1980: SA won 12-10, Port Elizabeth
1980: SA won 26-19, Bloemfontein
1980: SA won 26-22, Cape Town
1974: SA and Lions drew 13-13, Johannesburg
1974: Lions won 26-9, Port Elizabeth
1974: Lions won 28-9, Pretoria
1974: Lions won 12-3, Cape Town

Previous matches in Johannesburg:

1997: South Africa won 35-16
1974: South Africa and Lions drew 13-13
1968: South Africa won 19-6
1962: South Africa and Lions drew 3-3
1955: Lions won 23-22
1938: South Africa won 26-12
1924: South Africa won 17-0
1910: South Africa won 14-10
1903: South Africa and Lions drew 10-10
1896: Lions won 17-8

iafrica.com Prediction: Both teams have showed great commitment throughout the series and it is unlikely to change on Saturday. Once you compare the two teams man-for-man, then you start getting the feeling that just maybe the Boks have more depth than the Lions. In fact, with the freedom of the series already in the bag, the Boks may just cut lose. We feel South Africa will win comfortably this time, by 15 points.

Teams:

South Africa: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Johann Muller, 3 John Smit (captain), 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 Gurthrö Steenkamp, 18 Deon Carstens, 19 Steven Sykes, 20 Pierre Spies, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Francois Steyn.

British & Irish Lions: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Ugo Monye, 13 Tommy Bowe, 12 Riki Flutey, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Stephen Jones, 9 Mike Phillips, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Martyn Williams, 6 Joe Worsley, 5 Paul O'Connell (captain), 4 Simon Shaw, 3 Phil Vickery, 2 Matthew Rees, 1 Andrew Sheridan
Replacements: 16 Ross Ford, 17 John Hayes, 18 Alun-Wyn Jones, 19 David Wallace, 20 Tom Croft, 21 Harry Ellis, 22 James Hook

Date: Saturday, July 4
Venue: Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15.00 (13.00 GMT)
Expected weather: Sunny, but nippy. Virtually no chance of rain. High 14°C, low 2°C
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Assistant referees: Christophe Berdos (France), Vinny Munro (New Zealand)
TMO: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)

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