Right, just a few minutes to go so here's a quick reminder of who's going to be out there.

With Covid restrictions, there is less opportunity for the usual Lions fun and games but it looks like they've still been keeping busy outside of training. There's all sorts to do apparently. Juggling...

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Swimming...

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...and laughing into microphones.

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But today Stuart Hogg is at the helm and he leads the Lions back into the tunnel.

If you still haven't got your drinks and snacks at the ready, now is your chance.

The Lions also lost flanker Justin Tipuric in the Japan match, with Josh Navidi and Adam Beard getting a late call to join the squad as replacements for him and Alun Wyn Jones.

Conor Murray has taken over the captaincy. The Ireland scrum-half was perhaps a surprising choice for some but he has plenty of international experience and apparently the respect of his team, saying they've stopped calling him by his name and just using 'skips' instead.

As well as a new name, one of the perks of being Lions captain appears to be a fun cockpit photo shoot on the flight over.

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Gatland was also asked about the decision to include Luke Cowan-Dickie on the bench.

The Exeter hooker was knocked out in the Premiership final a week ago and former England scrum-half Kyran Bracken tweeted that he was "absolutely disgusted" at Cowan-Dickie's inclusion.

"I take full advice from the medical team," Gatland said.

"Whatever they say goes as far as I'm concerned. He's been through all of his protocols and we feel like we've gone over and above.

"We've followed everything and the medical team have given him the all-clear."

Warren Gatland has been speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the match, saying the team are "delighted" to be in South Africa after so much uncertainty surrounding the tour.

The Lions head coach added that working between winning games and keeping tactics under wraps before the Tests was a "balancing act".

"The guys last week got us off to a good start and we've spoken about the responsibility on tonight's team to continue the momentum," he explained.

Is it the worst possible thing to happen on the eve of a Lions tour? I suppose nowadays when tours can be cancelled altogether, it's not.

But losing your captain the day before you fly out is pretty bad. Especially when your captain is as totemic as Alun Wyn Jones.

The Wales great dislocated his shoulder early on in the Japan game and did not travel to South Africa, but this week Warren Gatland said he could make a "miracle" return in time for the Tests in three weeks.

It's a tight turnaround... What do you reckon? Thumbs up if AWJ is coming back.

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The Lions' wheels began turning with a 28-10 win against Japan at Murrayfield before they left home.

There were some very positive signs, not least fly-half Dan Biggar's flawless control of the midfield, but it came at great cost too.

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Warren Gatland says he wants to give everyone in his 37-man squad a chance to start in the first three games

So that explains the 14 changes since last week's win against Japan.

Tom Curry is the only player not to have had a start but should be ready for Wednesday's game once he recovers from a pectoral injury.

Stuart Hogg will lead the Lions for this one and perhaps the most exciting combination is Finn Russell and Owen Farrell at 10 and 12 respectively. There was much talk pre-tour about how their playing styles would fit together - we're about to find out.

British and Irish Lions: Hogg; Rees-Zammit, Harris, Farrell, Adams; Russell, Price; W Jones, George, Sinckler, Itoje, Hill, Lawes, H Watson, Faletau.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Vunipola, Fagerson, Henderson, Simmonds, Davies, Aki, Daly.

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Keep an eye on the hosts' fly-half Jordan Hendrikse.

The 20-year-old has a big day ahead, playing opposite Finn Russell. Flanker Vincent Tshituka also seems to have a bright path ahead, tipped as a future Springbok aged just 22.

Prop Ruan Dreyer and wing Jamba Ulengo are the only members of the starting XV to have made senior international appearances, although they only have five caps between them.

Sigma Lions: Viljoen; Ulengo, Rass, Odendaal, Maxwane; Hendrikse, Smit; McBeth, Botha, Dreyer, Schoeman, Nothnagel, Sangweni, V Tshituka, Horn (capt).

Replacements: Visagie, Sithole, Sadie, Straeuli, 20. E Tshituka, Van den Berg, Zeilinga, Kriel.

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So that's who today's opponents are, let's take a look at who is in both teams...

The Lions (British and Irish) face the Lions (Sigma) at the iconic Ellis Park in Johannesburg today.

Strong potential for the whole team name thing to get quite confusing but we'll do our best.

In case you're new to the Sigma Lions, they are probably the weakest side that Warren Gatland's team will face but they are at least almost at full strength, having only lost one player to the Springboks squad.

The South African side won just one of their five matches when they recently played in the Pro14 Rainbow Cup and are going to join the newly-formed United Rugby Championship next season.

When they were part of Super Rugby, they reached the final in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

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After months of discussions over whether the tour should be played at home or even in Australia, the British and Irish Lions have finally made it to South Africa.

There are no fans, they are playing and training in a coronavirus bubble as the country battles a third wave, but the tour is on.

We have five warm-up matches to enjoy before a tasty three-Test series. Think of today as a little amuse-bouche.

For a while we wondered if this day would ever come, but it's happening.

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Hands up if you're ready for some Lions rugby.

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