The Lions will go into Wednesday's seismic showdown with a strong South Africa team buoyed by the impending return of their 'Lazarus' captain Alun Wyn Jones.
Warren Gatland's squad face South Africa 'A' here knowing that their rivals are far more than the host nation's second-string side. They are awash with senior men and world champions.
The hosts pose a grave threat to the tourists on their as-yet imperious charge towards the Test series in what amounts to a full-scale international, 10 days before the official opener in the same stadium.
Conor Murray will lead the Lions against South Africa 'A' on Wednesday night
Conor Murray will lead the Lions, but the captaincy equation may be complicated in an entirely positive way by the arrival of the original choice for this crusade - Wales lock legend Jones. The 35-year-old has started training again with his national squad just 17 days after suffering a dislocated shoulder against Japan which appeared to wreck his prospects of making this trip.
The good news for Gatland and the Lions is that there is shock in the Welsh camp about their iconic leader's enduring powers of recovery.
Saracens centre Nick Tompkins said: 'I saw him yesterday at the hotel and it's like he's doing everything as normal. It's mental. I've never seen anything like it. He's dislocated his shoulder - it's Lazarus! I don't know what he's on but I need some of it, honestly. He's a nutter. How's he doing it?'
The Lions are set to belatedly kick off their tour when they face a strong South Africa 'A' team
The welcome shockwaves will have reverberated at the Lions' coastal base outside Cape Town, where they are destined to remain for the rest of this tour.
It is increasingly anticipated that Jones will be flown over from the UK as a matter of urgency. He may have already departed, although the official line on Tuesday night was that his condition would be reassessed in Wales on Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, a strong Lions team will face a strong team under the guise of South Africa 'A' and the visitors know exactly what they are up against.
Leading try scorer Josh Adams said: 'It'll be a proper Test. Their team is
