Bowe switches to centre for Lions

Tommy Bowe played in both the opening Tests

Ireland's Tommy Bowe moves from the wing to centre for Saturday's third Test between the injury-hit Lions and South Africa in Johannesburg.

Rob Kearney continues at full-back and Paul O'Connell and Jamie Heaslip are again selected among the forwards.

Brian O'Driscoll is out through injury while flanker David Wallace drops to the replacements' bench.

In total, there are eight changes, one positional, from the team which lost to South Africa in the second Test.

Riki Flutey, Joe Worsley, Ugo Monye, Shane Williams, Andrew Sheridan, Phil Vickery and Martyn Williams come into the starting line-up.

With Jamie Roberts and O'Driscoll ruled out, Flutey forms a centre partnership with Ireland's Bowe.

Monye and Shane Williams start out wide, while Sheridan and Vickery are named in the front row.

Worsley and Martyn Williams are both named in a new-look back-row.

Four players were ruled out for the rest of the tour following the ferocious contest in Pretoria, props Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones as well as O'Driscoll and Roberts, forcing head coach Ian McGeechan to make changes.

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"It is fair to say injuries have had an impact on the tour as you would expect including selection for the third Test," he said.

"However, the players coming into the starting XV are all talented international players and are as keen as ever to turn the tables on the Springboks.

"Last Saturday, we were minutes away from winning and that is a huge positive to take into the third Test.

"Despite this they have remained a tight, focussed squad and I know those playing in the third Test will give their all to ensure that we achieve a victory."

The selection of Vickery gives the Englishman a chance to eradicate the memories of the first Test in Durban.

The Wasps tight-head prop had a torrid time at the hands of the Springboks loose-head Tendai "The Beast" Mtawarira and was subsequently dropped for the second Test.

Flutey and Worsley make their full Test debuts for the Lions while England's Sheridan and Martyn Williams of Wales both earn their first Lions Test starts.

South Africa's win gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series and the Lions must win at Ellis Park to avoid suffering a Test series whitewash for the first time in 118 years of fixtures between the sides.

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Lions: Kearney; Monye, Bowe, Flutey, S Williams; S Jones, Phillips; Sheridan, Rees, Vickery, Shaw, O'Connell, Worsley, M Williams, Heaslip.
Replacements: Ford, Hayes, Alun-Wyn Jones, Wallace, Croft, Ellis, Hook.