British Lions Test team announced

The British and Irish Lions team to take on South Africa in the first Test on Saturday has been named, with no place in the starting line-up for Welsh stars Shane Williams and Martyn Williams.

Winger Shane was expected to play on the wing - but his place has been handed to Ugo Moyne of England (above), who has impressed in early tour matches. The flying Welshman does not even make the bench.

Ireland's David Wallace has been given the nod over Martyn Williams for the number seven spot in the pack. The only other surprise is that Alun Wyn Jones will start alongside skipper Paul O'Connor in the second row.

Team: L Byrne (Wales and Ospreys); T Bowe (Ireland and Ospreys), B O'Driscoll (Ireland and Leinster), J Roberts (Wales and Cardiff Blues), U Monye (England and Harlequins); S Jones (Wales and Scarlets), M Phillips (Wales and Ospreys); G Jenkins (Wales and Cardiff Blues), L Mears (England and Bath), P Vickery (England and Wasps), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales and Ospreys), P O'Connell (Ireland and Munster, capt), T Croft (England and Leicester), D Wallace (Ireland and Munster), J Heaslip (Ireland and Leinster).

Replacements: M Rees (Wales and Scarlets), A Jones (Wales and Ospreys), D O'Callaghan (Ireland and Munster), M Williams (Wales and Cardiff Blues), H Ellis(England and Leicester), R O'Gara (Ireland and Munster), R Kearney (Ireland and Leinster)

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Paul Rees, the Guardian: "The Lions head coach, Ian McGeechan, has told his players that the first Test against South Africa will be on a different plane from any of their six warm-up matches but he does not feel the ­tourists have been lulled into a false sense of ­security by encountering weakened sides on the road to Absa Stadium. Only two of the 29-strong Springbok squad have faced the Lions for their ­provinces in the last three weeks and one of those, the flanker Heinrich Brüssow, was called up only this week. The rest of the squad has been preparing for the Tests and the prop Tendai Mtawarira predicts a physical encounter."

Owen Slot & David Hands, the Times: "The Lions go into tomorrow’s first international against the Springboks with Tendai Mtawarira, the South Africa prop, warning that the series will be 'a war up front' as a diplomatic row also threatened to break out off the pitch. Lee Mears, the Lions hooker, responded to Mtawarira by saying that he and his colleagues in the scrum will be aiming 'to cause havoc' in Durban. However battle-hardened the Lions have become, there is no doubting the physical nature of the test that awaits and Victor Matfield, the Springboks’ second-row giant, is clearly relishing the prospect. 'The first ten minutes is going to be fun,' he said. 'The folk at home should keep their blankets pulled up to their chins.'"

Peter Jackson, Daily Mail: "In their different accents, the Test players all articulate the same belief - that the supposed mismatch is about to turn into one of the great duels, featuring colourful characters like Tommy Bowe, the Ulsterman who set off on his sporting life with the Monaghan Minors Gaelic football team and has wound up as the discovery of the tour. Ugo Monye, whose cousin Jude won an Olympic silver medal as part of Nigeria's 4x400metre relay team at the Atlanta Olympics, has now earned the right to put the family name back in the global arena. Two years ago he was flat on his back at his London apartment reduced to an alarming state of paralysis by a back condition."