Ian McGeechan has been true to his pledge in restoring traditional values to the Lions tour, but one aspect is markedly different as he prepares for next week's first Test and it is something that has clearly rattled his opposite number, Peter de Villiers.
When asked this week whether he was surprised that McGeechan was not going to field his Test line-up in advance of the game in Durban, the South Africa coach said: "How do you know Wednesday's team [that faced the Sharks] is not the side that will start the first Test?"
And that was it. The mind games ahead of an international are sometimes more interesting than the game itself, but on the shortest Lions tour yet, McGeechan is determined to maximise the advantages he has. One of them is the element of surprise.
He has constantly stated that the team for the first Test will not be determined until after next Tuesday's match against the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth and that anyone chosen for what is customarily an outing for dirt-trackers should not assume he will be wearing his blazer four days later.
The Lions' management are also keeping South Africa guessing in terms of tactics. What has been evident so far in their four matches is the division between the Saturday and Wednesday sides.
The two Saturday matches have seen the Lions go for size at forward. The eight that took the field against the Cheetahs was the heaviest the tourists could have chosen and, like the Saturday before, they struggled at the breakdown.
The Sharks this week came up against one of the quickest packs the Lions could field, a repeat of the previous Wednesday, and the breakdown area was far less of a concern.
Whatever the back division in the first Test, all the players will have appeared behind the quicker pack, but they will not all have been in the same line-up as the heavier eight.
So instead of a split between Saturday and midweek sides, the 2009 Lions offer a contrast in style in their two weekly outings. South Africa will not know until 48 hours before the kick-off in Durban whether McGeechan will go for Pack A or Pack B.
The difference is personified by the two loosehead props, Andrew Sheridan and Gethin Jenkins. A number of coaches here have said they would go for Sheridan on the grounds that he is the stronger scrummager and that the Springboks are likely to continue with playing the hooker John Smit out of position at tighthead.
Jenkins was penalised three times for taking the scrum down in the first half against the Sharks, although the Lions disputed the referee Jonathan Kaplan's version of what was going on up front. The Welshman, however, offers more in the loose than Sheridan, with his tackle count regularly around the 20 mark.
The Lions' 22 is likely to embrace both Pack A and B, with the alternatives on the bench. With Jenkins able to play at tighthead, both he and Sheridan could be in the match-day squad.
If there is one feature of the Lions' play that has caught South Africans on the back foot, it has been their willingness to run from deep rather than kick the ball all the time in their own half. Yet on Wednesday they reverted to a more familiar style, rarely kicking for touch and doing a lot of close-quarter work, especially in the opening 40 minutes. After the break, Ronan O'Gara chipped when the defence was up quickly and passed when he had more time. Everything was structured, organised and deliberate.
The arrival yesterday of Neil Jenkins as kicking coach would suggest that the Lions will kick more tactically than they have so far, which is why O'Gara remains in contention for the Test fly-half jersey.
McGeechan is known for his curve balls and he is likely to produce at least one major surprise next week. While the Wednesday team has scored 113 points in two matches and conceded just 13, and one try, compared to the Saturday side shipping 49 points and six tries, the centres Jamie Roberts and Brian O'Driscoll are both carrying shoulder strains.
Roberts slipped off one tackle against the Golden Lions that led to a try and against the Sharks he again favoured his right shoulder, leading to Stefan Terblanche shooting past him. Will Roberts be put on the wing in defence with, perhaps, Luke Fitzgerald filling the midfield role and going back out wide in attack?
The Lions' analysis of South Africa in last year's Tri-Nations showed that 80% of their line breaks were made by the centres, Adrian Jacobs and Jean de Villiers. The midfield defence will need to be watertight.
McGeechan will leave nothing to chance, but he knows the first Test holds so much for his side and that the battle will be as much mental as it is physical.
