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This Lions selection is at once brutal yet understandable - ruthless yet entirely logical. Warren Gatland wants his team to beat the Springboks at their own game, so the changes make sense.
First and foremost, it is the right call to alter a winning line-up, in recognition of the fact that the tourists won the series opener last Saturday despite operating far below their collective potential. There were several areas of the game where they under-performed and the rotation of personnel adds a renewed edge of purpose to the whole team.
From front to back, the three additions to the starting XV can be justified. Mako Vunipola taking over from Rory Sutherland is a reflection of how the England prop's superb second-half efforts in the scrum helped the British and Irish visitors to utterly negate the looming threat of the Boks' mighty 'bomb squad' of monstrous front-rowers.
Mako Vunipola's superb second-half efforts on Saturday has helped secure him a start
Sutherland had struggled early on, but Vunipola helped to steady the Lions' set-piece platform, while also offering plenty around the field. He has vast experience as someone on his third tour of duty and he also has champion pedigree as someone who has won countless titles and medals with club and country. With Wyn Jones unavailable due to a shoulder injury, this switch in the No 1 shirt should not raise any complaints.
At scrum-half, the change is a
