Burger beefs up Boks for second Lions Test

Schalk Burger returns to the South Africa team for the second Test against the British and Irish Lions at Loftus Versfeld here on Saturday.

A calf injury prevented the fearless Western Stormers flanker playing in the first Test last Saturday, won 26-21 by the Springboks after the Lions scored 14 points in a late rally.

Heinrich Brussow, the Central Cheetahs master fetcher who came in for Burger and shone until his surprising early second-half substitution, steps down to the bench.

The inclusion of Burger is the only change from the Durban starting XV and there are two among the replacements with Brussow and hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle taking the places of prop Gurthro Steenkamp and scrum-half Ricky Januarie.

Dropping Januarie means the Boks will have only two backs on the bench, fly-half Morne Steyn and centre Jaque Fourie, with starting fly-half Ruan Pienaar providing scrum-half cover.

Coach Peter de Villiers received a media roasting despite the first Test triumph with critics claiming his spate of second-half substitutions almost cost the 2007 Rugby World Cup winners the match.

Trailing 26-7 soon after half-time, the Lions hit back with two converted tries and coach Ian McGeechan later bemoaned several squandered try-scoring opportunities.

De Villiers struck an upbeat note on Tuesday: "We must make sure we are more than equal to the task. We are a squad of 22 focused on a common objective, which is to go out and win a series against a very good Lions team."

The Springboks, hoping to avenge a 2-1 series loss when the Lions last toured South Africa 12 years ago, will be trying to win at Loftus for only the second time in five attempts against the tourists.

Tighthead prop and skipper John Smit is the most experienced Bok in the run-on team with 82 caps followed by locks Victor Matfield (81) and Bakkies Botha (56) and loose forward Juan Smith (55).

Team (15-1)

Francois Steyn; JP Pietersen, Adrian Jacobs, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana; Ruan Pienaar, Fourie du Preez; Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger; Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha; John Smit (capt), Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira

Replacements: Chiliboy Ralepelle, Deon Carstens, Andries Bekker, Danie Rossouw, Heinrich Brussow, Jaque Fourie, Morne Steyn