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Faf de Klerk is a huge loss for the Springboks. Billy Stickland/INPHO

Big blows for Springboks as De Klerk and Du Toit ruled out of Lions decider

Cobus Reinach and Lood de Jager have been called into the starting XV.

SPRINGBOKS HEAD COACH Jacques Nienaber will be without key men Faf de Klerk and Pieter-Steph du Toit for Saturday’s third and deciding Test against the British and Irish Lions at Cape Town Stadium [KO 5pm Irish/UK time, Sky Sports].

De Klerk and du Toit have been ruled out due to injury, with Cobus Reinach coming in at scrum-half and Lood de Jager starting in the pack as Franco Mostert shifts to the back row.

The Boks are also without experienced number eight Duane Vermeulen, who returned to the squad on Sunday but hasn’t been deemed fit enough to be involved this weekend.

Nienaber has reverted to a 5/3 bench split, with 37-year-old Morné Steyn – who kicked the winning penalty in the 2009 Lions series – called into the matchday 23.  

South Africa (v Lions):

15. Willie le Roux 

14. Cheslin Kolbe

13. Lukhanyo Am

12. Damian de Allende

11. Makazole Mapimpi 

10. Handré Pollard 

9. Cobus Reinach

1. Steven Kitshoff 

2. Bongi Mbonambi

3. Frans Malherbe  

4. Eben Etzebeth 

5. Lood de Jager 

6. Siya Kolisi (captain)

7. Franco Mostert 

8. Jasper Wiese

Replacements:

16. Malcolm Marx 

17. Trevor Nyakane 

18. Vincent Koch 

19. Marco van Staden 

20. Kwagga Smith 

21. Herschel Jantjies  

22. Morné Steyn 

23. Damian Willemse

Referee: Mathieu Raynal [France].

- This article was updated at 1.15pm to correct the Springboks’ starting line-up, which erroneously listed Faf de Klerk.

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