Alun Wyn Jones volition skipper the British and Irish Lions for their opening Test against South Africa successful Cape Town connected Sunday (2am AEST, unrecorded connected Stan Sport).
The Welsh fastener recovered from a dislocated near enarthrosis that had primitively ruled him retired of the circuit and volition beryllium making his 10th successive Test quality for the Lions.
Jones' inclusion successful the starting lineup announced connected Wednesday comes aft helium played 25 minutes successful the Lions' last warmup lucifer against the Stormers implicit the weekend, with caput manager Warren Gatland and his squad satisfied with his fitness.
"It's a large boost to the squad and to everyone to person him back," Gatland said.
"It's large successful presumption of him making a superb betterment to marque himself disposable again. He had to tally retired the different time and walk immoderate clip connected the pitch, truthful it's fantastic."
The fit-again Robbie Henshaw besides starts arsenic helium partners Elliot Daly successful midfield, portion Danny Biggar and Ali Price are paired unneurotic successful the halves.
There is nary spot successful the matchday 23 for in-form winger Josh Adams oregon escaped guardant Taulupe Faletau.
Meanwhile, Rugby World Cup-winning skipper Siya Kolisi has recovered from COVID-19 and volition pb South Africa.
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Kolisi was a immense uncertainty for the bid opener having not played immoderate portion successful the buildup aft contracting the microorganism astatine the commencement of the month.
But helium was backmost and volition pb a matchday squad that includes 21 players who featured successful the Springboks' triumphant World Cup run successful Japan successful 2019.
"It was precise important (to person him backmost arsenic captain)," Springboks manager Jacques Nienaber said.
"He's been a subordinate that we've been with for rather immoderate time, helium knows our structures, and is our captain. He brings that calmness to the squad truthful we're precise blessed to person him back."
Like Kolisi, winger Makazole Mapimpi and guardant Ox Nche were besides successful the starting XV having been among the players who were doubtful aft being infected.
The trio was the past radical of players to study for work astatine the Springboks campy successful Cape Town connected Monday aft completing mandatory self-isolation successful Johannesburg.
More than a twelve players tested affirmative for COVID-19, but immoderate benignant of calm seems to person returned.
Vice skipper Handre Pollard is named astatine flyhalf wherever helium volition triumph his 50th cap, alongside the dynamic Faf de Klerk astatine scrumhalf.
The pair, unneurotic with the full battalion of forwards, arsenic good arsenic fullback Willie le Roux each started successful South Africa's warmup against Georgia which the Springboks won 40-9 connected July 3.
That was the lone lucifer they played since the World Cup last triumph implicit England successful November 2019.
"The information that astir of the players participated successful the Rugby World Cup means they cognize 1 different good connected and disconnected the field, and arsenic coaches we cognize what they person to connection aft having worked with astir of them for respective years," Nienaber said.
LIONS (15-1): Stuart Hogg, Anthony Watson, Elliot Daly, Robbie Henshaw, Duhan van der Merwe, Danny Biggar, Ali Price, Jack Conan, Tom Curry, Courtney Lawes, Maro Itoje, Alun Wyn Jones (c), Tadhg Furlong, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Wyn Jones
Reserves: Ken Owens, Rory Sutherland, Kyle Sinckler, Tadhg Beirne, Hamish Watson, Conor Murray, Owen Farrell, Liam Williams
SPRINGBOKS (15-1): Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Handre Pollard, Faf de Klerk; Kwagga Smith, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (c), Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth, Trevor Nyakane, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche
Reserves: Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe, Lood de Jager, Rynhardt Elstadt, Herschel Jantjies, Elton Jantjies, Damian Willemse
English (US) ·