The Sharks' scrum holds firm near their own try line and scrum-half Jaden Hendrikse clears.

Liam Williams gathers and looks to launch a counter-attack, but another handling error proves the tourists' undoing.

Courtney Lawes' pass to Rory Sutherland is loose and the prop can't gather.

But the Lions earn a penalty from the scrum and Dan Biggar kicks it to the corner.

You can tell this game is being played at altitude by the way every kick just keeps sailing in the air.

Every clearance is higher and longer than your average sea-level effort.

The Lions have possession near the Sharks' try line but their attack grinds to a halt after a knock-on.

The Sharks are up for this.

A good kick chase, led by try-scorer Anthony Volmink, puts Dan Biggar under pressure and the Lions fly-half is bundled into touch inside his own 22.

The Sharks enjoy their first sustained period of possession, rattling through the phases near halfway.

Courtney Lawes is penalised for not moving away, and Lionel Cronje kicks the penalty into touch deep in the Lions' half.

The Lions earn a penalty from the game's first scrum and Dan Biggar's kick is excellent, giving the tourists a line-out five metres out from the Sharks' try line.

The Lions try to get a rolling maul going but the Sharks drive them into touch.

An early penalty for the Sharks, which Lionel Cronje uses to boot into touch and the hosts have a line-out near halfway.

Werner Kok, also known as Tarzan, wastes no time getting into the action and bounces off Elliot Daly.

Kok loves contact and it looks like he enjoyed that collision.

Referee Wayne Barnes blows his whistle and it's Lions fly-half Dan Biggar who takes kick-off to get this game under way.

Right then, not long to go until kick-off now.

The players make their way on to the pitch at Loftus Versfeld with some pitchside flame-throwers for company.

Image source, Getty Images

This is the view inside the Lions changing room at Loftus Versfeld.

The stadium is situated 1350m above sea level in Pretoria. The top of Ben Nevis is 1345m. You get the picture. It's high.

Up there the air is thin, the lungs burn and the ball flies far.

The Sharks, who are based down in sea-level Cape Town, will feel it just as much as the tourists.

It could get very loose in the final 20 minutes as the lactic builds and space opens up.

Image source, Gett

Earlier we brought you the breaking news that England fly-half Marcus Smith has been drafted into the British and Irish Lions' squad as injury cover for Finn Russell.

The final whistle has just blown at Twickenham, where Smith has kicked nine conversions in a 70-14 thrashing Canada.

Next stop for the 22-year-old is South Africa. More on his call-up here.

Image source, Getty Images

The tourists will be familiar with today's referee, England's vastly experienced Wayne Barnes.

The barrister will be assisted by South Africans AJ Jacobs and Jaco Peyper.

Stuart Berry, another South African, will be the television match official.

Image source, Getty Images

This won't be the last tickle of the tour itinerary judging by head coach Warren Gatland's words yesterday.

He is expecting all three Tests, rather than just the first, to be played in Cape Town, taking out the altitude factor from the series.

And Wednesday's match, which is supposed to be against South Africa A, might be switched with next Saturday's against the Stormers.

"I think they are definitely going to be in Cape Town. That hasn't been confirmed but is my understanding," Gatland said.

"The way we have been training I think three Tests at sea level is a real positive for us."

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

While England put Canada to the sword, there's been plenty of international action elsewhere today.

Earlier this afternoon, Wales fought back from 14 points down to draw with Argentina in Cardiff.

The Pumas had to play with 14 men for 50 minutes after full-back Juan Cruz Mallia was sent off for a dangerous tackle.

Gareth Griffiths was at the Principality Stadium for BBC Sport and you can read his match report here.

Image source, Inpho

The Lions put this same opposition to the sword in impressive style on Wednesday with both Josh Adams and Duhan van der Merwe running in hat-tricks in a 54-7 win.

Anthony Watson, whose only appearance so far on the tour was off the bench in the opening win over Japan, could do with a similarly large slice of sweet try pie to stake his Test claim.

Elsewhere I would be keeping an eye on Gareth Davies, who has had a couple of livewire cameos off the bench, and the combination of Tadhg Beirne and Hamish Watson on the flanks could easily be one that starts a Test if it goes well here.

Also Rory Sutherland. Watch out from some high-speed rumbles from the Scotland prop.

Image source, Getty Images

The Sharks have made 11 personnel changes to their starting line-up in in light of the three-day turnaround, although captain Phepsi Buthelezi keeps his place at number eight and Werner Kok, who impressed on the wing, moves into midfield.

There is a new fly-half for the hosts with the vastly experienced Lionel Cronje stepping in at 10 to pull some strings.

The Sharks have been given dispensation to have 11 replacements on the bench, although they can only actually use eight of them.

Some of the most intensely Afrikaans names in the squad as well. Wiehahn Herbst? Le Roux Roets? Rynhardt Jonker? Braai van Biltong? Alright, I made up that last one.

Sharks:Volmink; Potgieter, Kok, Koster, Abrahams; Cronje, Hendrikse; N Mchunu, Van Vuuren, Herbst, Roets, Hugo, Richardson, Gumede, Buthelezi (capt).

Replacements:Jooste, Majola, K Mchunu, Bholi, Labushagne, Wright, Chamberlain, Ward, Adriaanse, Jonker, Bosch.

As Finn Russell manages his Achilles issue and remains in South Africa, the Lions have called up England and Harlequins fly-half Marcus Smith as injury cover.

The 22-year-old is currently playing for England as they lead Canada at Twickenham 56-14, kicking seven conversions so far.

I wonder if Smith was told about his Lions call-up beforehand? Or might he be in line for a pleasant surprise once he leaves the pitch at Twickenham?

Image source, Getty

There have been a couple of late changes to the team announced on Friday with second row Maro Itoje suffering with a gastric bug. Courtney Lawes steps up off the bench with Adam Beard now riding the pine as a replacement. Also Finn Russell, who is managing an Achilles problem, has stepped off the bench with Bundee Aki coming into the matchday 23.

England wing Anthony Watson and Wales scrum-half Gareth Davies make their first starts of the tour as Warren Gatland shuffles his pack and backs once more.

Jamie George, part of the team's social committee, has got an on-field gig, leading the side as captain.

Interestingly Elliot Daly gets a second successive run at outside centre. He and Duhan van der Merwe are the only members of the starting line-up who also began the win over the Sharks three days ago.

British and Irish Lions:L Williams, A Watson, Daly, Harris, Van der Merwe; Biggar, Davies; Sutherland, George (capt), Furlong, Lawes, Hill, Beirne, H Watson, Conan.

Replacements:Owens, Jones, Sinckler, Beard, Simmonds, Curry, Murray, Aki.