No team has a pre-determined right to victory but it would be fitting if the Lions could round off their tour by beating South Africa in the third Test at Ellis Park this afternoon (2pm).

Fitting because they have managed to make a proper contest out of a series where they had been widely written off. They were dismissed because of the enormity of the challenge involved in moulding a team from four nations to take on the world champions on their own turf with limited lead-in time against weakened opposition.

In those circumstances, they have done remarkably well, contributing to a mesmerising couple of Tests and, but for a fluffed chance here and an officiating mix-up there, the Lions could have been running out this afternoon with the series in the bag.

However, in stating that, we veer into 'if my Aunt Blaithin had more testosterone she'd be my Uncle Seamus' territory — it is the Springboks who have the 2-0 lead, leaving the Lions desperate to avoid the first whitewash against South Africa since they first toured here 118 years ago.

The odds are stacked against them. The last Test is traditionally the hardest for the Lions to win as they tend to pitch up with a squad decimated by injury, and the last week of a tour also presents a psychological challenge as thoughts, inevitably, have turned to home. Ian McGeechan's men go into this match robbed of first-choice props Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones, as well as their hugely influential centre partnership of Jamie Roberts and Brian O'Driscoll, while South Africa are without the suspended duo of Bakkies Botha and Schalk Burger.

However, on top of dealing with enforced changes, both McGeechan and his South African counterpart Peter De Villiers have adopted an experimental approach to the final game, which you strongly suspect would not have happened had today's match been the series-decider.

Thus, Tommy Bowe starts for the Lions at outside centre, a position where he has never played for Ireland and only intermittently for the Ospreys and Ulster. Martyn Williams gets a run at openside, where David Wallace has performed extremely well in the Tests, but that is easier to justify than Shane Williams starting on the left wing.

Management are desperate for Williams to rediscover his World Player Of The Year form but, despite consistent exposure, it hasn't been happening for the diminutive speedster and giving him another shot here is unfair on Luke Fitzgerald, who has looked sharp all tour and did well last Saturday but may have been held responsible for the defensive confusion that allowed JP Pietersen zip through a gap for South Africa's first try.

Although South Africa have made wholesale changes and rested established front-liners such as Bismark Du Plessis, Pierre Spies and Bryan Habana, their team looks stronger in key areas.

For the Lions, Phil Vickery at tight-head prop and Ugo Monye on the wing are looking for redemptive performances after their nightmare first Tests, while Kiwi centre Riki Flutey and flanker Joe Worsley are looking for a strong finish to middling tours.

Vickery goes up against the Beast again, who will be motivated by being described as “nothing special” by the Lions this week.

Hopefully, the fall-out from last weekend's uncompromising encounter in Pretoria will be left behind and the end-of-term mood may lead to a free-spirited approach by both teams.

Forwards coach Warren Gatland said: “The boys are gutted to have lost the series but we have come here and earned respect, so if we don't front up we will throw all that hard work away.

“If we get well beaten, then there will be nowhere to hide. But I hope we have worked too hard for that to happen. It's always a risk making so many changes but we didn't just do it for the sake of it.” Even in defeat, these Lions have justified their continued existence in a sport obsessed with the four-year cycles of World Cups and could hammer home that point with victory today.

Unfortunately, though, despite their weakened line-up, the Springboks look too powerful in key areas and seem ready to claim their first Lions whitewash.

Verdict: South Africa