Heinrich Brussow, the open-side flanker who caused havoc at the breakdown for the Lions in Bloemfontein 10 days ago, was today parachuted into the South Africa side for the first Test after Schalk Burger failed a fitness test on his injured calf.

The 22-year-old Brussow, who made his debut against England at the end of last November's international at Twickenham, the Springboks' last outing, will partner his captain at the Cheetahs, Juan Smith, in the back row.

Although the Blue Bulls won the Super 14 last month and are regarded as the best team in South Africa by some distance, they supply only five players to the side, including the second rows Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield, while the Sharks provide seven including the entire front row, which includes the captain, John Smit at tight-head prop. Ten of the side started against England last autumn although Smit was hooker that day.

"We expect Schalk to be available for the second Test and Heinrich's inclusion is not at all disruptive because he played against Namibia in our warm-up match last month and he was on tour with us at the end of last year," said the South Africa assistant coach, Dick Muir, who led the media conference to announce the side with the head coach, Peter de Villiers, watching the Lions in Port Elizabeth.

Muir said the Springboks believed they knew the side the Lions would announce on Thursday as well as the gameplan they would employ, adding that they were not overly bothered by what they expected would come their way.

"We do not expect any surprises in their team," said Muir. "We are not too concerned about what will be thrown at us. We are only worried about what we need to do. We have a formidable side and whatever the Lions come up with, we will front up to them.

"We have not played together as a side for seven months but we will be ready for the Lions. We have had practice sessions against the Emerging Springboks in training and while we are aware that the Lions have had more in the way of match preparation than us, there is an up and a down side to that because they have picked up injuries along the way.

"We have been together as a squad for a number of years. The players have won the World Cup and the Bulls lifted the Super 14. There is a confidence throughout the squad that will carry us through. We have analysed the Lions minutely, not just this tour, but looking at the Six Nations and the clubs their coaches have been involved in. We know exactly how they are going to play and what their management team is all about."

The Springboks have addressed the issue of goal-kicking, which cost them the series against the Lions in 1997, by choosing both Ruan Pienaar and Frans Steyn in the starting line-up, but they have supplied less than 100 points between them with the boot despite playing in a combined 54 internationals.

Pienaar returned to full training this week after a knee injury. "He is ready to go," said Muir, when asked whether the uncapped Bulls' outside-half, Morne Steyn, who is on the bench, would have been a more sensible choice. Steyn, normally a centre or outside-half, will fill the problem position of full-back.

"We have a team that can take the Lions on at forward and run at them behind," said Muir. "Heinrich did well against the Lions for the Cheetahs but the more important factor in his call-up was how he had gone in Namibia."

There has been a clamour in South Africa for Brussow to be included but he is one of the smallest flankers on the circuit at 5ft 11in while Burger is a line-out option, and when he faced the Lions, the open-side marking him was Joe Worsley.