LIONS HEAD COACH Warren Gatland has brought Robbie Henshaw back into his starting XV for Saturday’s clash with the Stormers in Cape Town [KO 5pm Irish time, Sky Sports].

Henshaw returns from a hamstring injury to start at inside centre a week out from the first Test against the Springboks.

Tour captain Alun Wyn Jones has been included on the bench after his stunning recovery from a shoulder injury. The Welshman only arrives in South Africa today but will have a chance to push for Test match inclusion.

England’s 22-year-old Marcus Smith will debut for the Lions at out-half, having only joined the squad as injury cover for Finn Russell earlier this week.

Stuart Hogg captains the team having finished his period of isolation after being identified as a close contact of a positive Covid-19 case in the Lions’ management team.

Ireland’s Tadhg Beirne and Jack Conan get a final chance to impress in the back row, while Tadhg Furlong starts at tighthead prop.

Lions:

15. Stuart Hogg – captain (Exeter Chiefs, Scotland) #783

14. Josh Adams (Cardiff, Wales) #836

13. Elliot Daly (Saracens, England) #822

12. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster, Ireland) #824

11. Duhan van der Merwe (Worcester, Scotland) #841

10. Marcus Smith (Harlequins, England)

9. Ali Price (Glasgow, Scotland) #843

1. Rory Sutherland (Worcester, Scotland) #840

2. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter, England) #851

3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster, Ireland) #818

4. Adam Beard (Ospreys, Wales) #852

5. Jonny Hill (Exeter, England) #845

6. Tadhg Beirne (Munster, Ireland) #838

7. Hamish Watson (Edinburgh, Scotland) #847

8. Jack Conan (Leinster, Ireland) #839

Replacements:

16. Jamie George (Saracens, England) #819

17. Mako Vunipola (Saracens, England) #787

18. Zander Fagerson (Glasgow, Scotland) #848

19. Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys, Wales) #761

20. Sam Simmonds (Exeter, England) #849

21. Gareth Davies (Scarlets, Wales) #850

22. Chris Harris (Gloucester, Scotland) #844

23. Louis Rees-Zammit (Gloucester, Wales) #846 

Stormers:

15. Sergeal Petersen

14. Seabelo Senatla

13. Rikus Pretorius

12. Dan du Plessis

11. Edwill van der Merwe

10. Tim Swiel

9. Godlen Masimla

1. Leon Lyons

2. JJ Kotze

3. Neethling Fouche

4. Ernst van Rhyn (captain)

5. JD Schickerling

6. Nama Xaba

7. Johan du Toit

8. Evan Roos

Replacements from:

16. Andre-Hugo Venter

17. Kwenzo Blose

18. Sazi Sandi

19. Justin Basson

20. Marcel Theunissen

21. Thomas Bursey

22. Abner van Reenen

23. Juan de Jongh

24. Lee-Marvin Mazibuko

25. Niel Otto

26. Leolin Zas

27. Cornel Smit.