Lions head coach Warren Gatland has made sweeping changes for today's winner-takes all third test against the Springboks, but will those bold choices pay off? With the series tied at 1-1 after South Africa's 27-9 win last week, the final test is not to be missed. Rugby fans: make sure you know how to watch a Lions vs South Africa live stream (2nd Test) from anywhere in the world.
The team news is in and Alun Wyn Jones will once again skipper the Lions but Owen Farrell, Taulupe Faletau, Anthony Watson and Stuart Hogg are out. Hooker Ken Owens, prop Wyn Jones, scrum-half Ali Price, centre Bundee Aki, wing Josh Adams and full-back Liam Williams make the starting XV. Kyle Sinckler will be available from the bench.
Date: Saturday 7th August 2021
Start time: 5pm BST
Venue: Cape Town Stadium
US stream: Peacock (7-day free trial)
Watch anywhere: Try ExpressVPN risk-free today
AUS stream: Stan (7-day free trial)
UK stream: Now (£10/day)
"The matchday 23 have an incredibly special opportunity in front of them - to seal a Lions series victory in South Africa," said Gatland. "It doesn't get much bigger than this and we're excited by the challenge that faces us on Saturday.
"We've no excuses from last week - the Springboks put us under pressure in the second half and deserved the win. We have to be much better than that second-half performance, and I believe we will be."
Meanwhile, South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber has made two changes to his starting XV. Faf de Klerk, arguably the Boks' most influential player, is out with a muscle strain while Pieter-Steph du Toit has suffered a shoulder injury, leaving the door open for Cobus Reinach and Lood de Jager.
"Are we there yet? No, we are not, we are building towards that (peak form)," Nienaber said. "There is still a lot we can improve. We need to stay humble and not get arrogant about it."
Rugby fans in the US can stream the 3rd test of the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour on Peacock TV for only $4.99 a month (you even get a 7-day free trial). Make sure you know how to watch a Lions vs South Africa live stream, from anywhere in the world.
Watch a Lions vs South Africa live stream for free
Good news: Peacock TV has the rights to stream the 2021 British and Irish Lions Tour in the States and new users get a 7-day free trial. No contract, cancel anytime. It's just about the cheapest way to watch a Lions vs South Africa live stream.
More good news: Stan has the rights to stream the 3rd Test in Australia. Subscription to Stan costs AU$10 a month, with the necessary Sport add-on a further $10. New users get a 7-day free trial of the Sport add-on.
Of course, if you're away from home you'll need to use a VPN to access your local streaming service without being geo-blocked. We recommend ExpressVPN as it comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
Watch the Lions vs South Africa live stream from anywhere using a VPN
Even if you have subscribed to the relevant Lions vs South Africa rights holders, you won't be able to access them when outside your own country. The service will know your location based on your IP address, and will automatically block your access.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. VPNs are a doddle to use and create a private connection between your device and the internet. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted.
There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. As a rule, we’d suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN which offers a 100 per cent risk-free money back guarantee. If you're not happy with the service any time within the first 30-days, then you can cancel with no penalties at all.
Watch a Lions vs South Africa live stream in the USA
NBC Sports has the exclusive rights to show the British & Irish Lions Tour 2021 in the United States. The network will stream this Saturday's 2nd Test live on Peacock TV. Premium subscription costs $4.99 a month (or $9.99 commercial-free). That's a bargain when you compare it to the price that UK fans pay. Better yet, new users get a 7-day free trial.
Remember, you'll need to use a VPN to access Peacock if you're away from the US during the Lions tour.
Peacock Premium gets you a British and Irish Lions live stream, superb coverage of the Tokyo Olympics and Premier League soccer, tons of US boxsets including The Office, and thousands of hit movies such as Apollo 13. At only $4.99 a month, it's an absolute steal.
Watch Lions vs South Africa live stream in Australia
If you're prepared for some early morning starts you can get a Lions vs South Africa live stream on Stan.
The Aussie streaming service costs $10 a month, plus you'll need the Sport add-on at an additional $20 a month. But – good news – the Sport add-on is free for the first 7 days.
Remember, you'll need to use a VPN to access Stan if you're away from the Oz this summer.
Watch a Lions vs South Africa live stream in the UK
Sky Sports has the rights to the British & Irish Lions' Tour of South Africa, including the third and final Test. Here are the best Sky TV deals.
Even without a full Sky subscription, though, fans can enjoy a Lions vs South Africa live stream with a Now day pass (£9.99) or monthly pass (£33.99). Make sure you've got your VPN handy if you're stuck abroad.
Watch a Lions vs South Africa live stream in South Africa
As ever, SuperSport is the place to watch the British & Irish Lions Tour in South Africa, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The African online sports channel will broadcast the games via its DStv satellite platform in South Africa. You can sign up to DStv here. Failing that, head to any local sports bar to watch the Springboks in action.
One of the biggest African online sports channels, DStv also shows live FA Cup, Champions League, La Liga as well as rugby, tennis, golf, motorsport and cricket.
British and Irish Lions Tour 2021 fixtures
03/07/2021 (warm-up match)
British & Irish Lions vs Sigma Lions live stream – Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick off: 5pm BST
07/07/2021 (warm-up match)
Cell C Sharks vs British & Irish Lions – Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick off: 7pm BST
10/07/2021 (warm-up match)
Cell C Sharks vs British & Irish Lions – Pretoria Loftus Versfeld
Kick off: 5pm BST
14/07/2021 (warm-up match)
South Africa ‘A’ vs British & Irish Lions – Cape Town Stadium
Kick off: 7pm BST
17/07/2021 (warm-up match)
DHL Stormers vs British & Irish Lions – Cape Town Stadium
Kick off: 5pm BST
24/07/2021 - 1st Test
Springboks vs British & Irish Lions – 1st Test, Cape Town Stadium
Kick off: 5pm BST
31/07/2021 – 2nd Test
Springboks vs British & Irish Lions - 2nd Test, Johannesburg FNB Stadium
Kick off: 5pm BST
07/08/2021 – 3rd Test
Springboks vs British & Irish Lions - 3rd Test Johannesburg FNB Stadium
Kick off: 5pm BST
British and Irish Lions squad for 2021
Tadhg Beirne (Ire), Jack Conan (Ire), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Eng), Tom Curry (Eng), Zander Fagerson (Sco), Taulupe Faletau (Wal), Tadhg Furlong (Ire), Jamie George (Eng), Iain Henderson (Ire), Jonny Hill (Eng), Maro Itoje (Eng), Wyn Jones (Wal), Courtney Lawes (Eng), Ken Owens (Wal), Sam Simmonds (Eng), Kyle Sinckler (Eng)*, Rory Sutherland (Sco), Justin Tipuric (Wal), Mako Vunipola (Eng), Hamish Watson (Sco), Josh Adams (Wal), Bundee Aki (Ire), Dan Biggar (Wal), Elliot Daly (Eng), Gareth Davies (Wal), Owen Farrell (Eng), Chris Harris (Sco), Robbie Henshaw (Ire), Stuart Hogg (Sco), Conor Murray (Ire), Ali Price (Sco), Louis Rees-Zammit (Wal), Finn Russell (Sco), Duhan van der Merwe (Sco), Anthony Watson (Eng), Liam Williams (Wal).
British and Irish Lions Tour history & facts
'BIL' is the cuddly Lion mascot that travels everywhere with the British & Irish Lions. The youngest member of the squad is tasked with looking after BIL and must not let him out of their sight under any circumstances. In 2017, it was Maro Itoje’s turn. He promptly lost BIL and faced a number of 'forfeits'. BIL later turned up unharmed.
1971 is often called "The Greatest Ever Tour". Barry John won superstar status with the range of his kicking repertoire and the manner in which he ghosted through the opponent's defence. The Legendary Welsh fly-half's 188 points remains a Lions record for one Tour. Now aged 76, he still can't go into a pub without being recognised.
The historic first ever Lions Tour took place in Otago, New Zealand. The tourists won 8-3 in front of a crowd of some 10,000 fans. There followed a further 18 games in New Zealand and 16 in Australia. 19 Victorian Rules (now called Aussie Rules) matches were also played to pay for the cost of the Tour.
Since that first tour in 1888, 835 players have represented the British & Irish Lions. From Jack Anderton in 1988 (cap number 1) to Finn Russell in 2017 (cap number 835), every player has made their mark on Lions history. Overall, the Lions have played 117 matches, winning 47, losing 59 and drawing 11.
The British and Irish Lions 2021 tour opener against Japan will be played in front of 16,500 fans in Edinburgh after plans were signed off by the Scottish government. Expect a sea of red.
- Browse today's best TV deals to bag a cheap 4K, OLED or QLED TV
