The British and Irish Lions kick off their 2021 tour of South Africa on Saturday when they face Japan at Murrayfield in Edinburgh.
In what will only be the Lions' third-ever outing on British soil, Warren Gatland's side will be keen to get their tour off to a winning start against a fast-improving rugby nation, with the Vodafone Lions 1888 Cup at stake.
Match preview
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After months of doubt over whether this tour would even take place due to COVID-19, there will be an even greater mixture of relief, anticipation and expectation than usual when the Lions finally officially get business underway on Saturday.
There will be 16,500 fans inside Murrayfield for this match - the first Test at the stadium with a crowd since March 2020 - and they will have the honour of seeing the 2021 Lions in person for the only time.
Supporters are not allowed to travel to South Africa when the main tour begins, and it remains uncertain whether home fans will even be allowed into grounds, with the prospect of a behind-closed-doors tour still very much looming.
Nevertheless, the Lions always carry a certain allure and Saturday's match will be an historic occasion as they not only face Japan for the first time ever, but also play on British soil for only the third time.
The Lions faced a Rest of the World XV in Cardiff in 1986 and then needed a late Jonny Wilkinson drop goal to edge past Argentina in 2005.
Gatland will hope that what followed on that 2005 tour - a chastening and humiliating hammering by New Zealand - does not repeat itself against the world champions this time around, but the Lions have certainly evolved since that trip to face the All Blacks.
Indeed, on their last tour in 2017 they battled to a thrilling but somewhat anticlimactic drawn series against the then-world champions New Zealand, and they will have high hopes of going one better against the nation that has since taken the crown of the world's best.
This year's tour will be two games shorter than that of 2017 - although there will still be three Tests - and the unprecedented circumstances they find themselves in could even end up playing into the Lions' hands.
Ordinarily one of the biggest hurdles the Lions must overcome is unfamiliarity with each other and a lack of time playing together, but the pandemic means that South Africa have not played since the 2019 World Cup final and will only have two Tests against Georgia in preparation.
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Japan find themselves in a similar boat, with their last match against international opposition coming in their World Cup quarter-final defeat to South Africa 20 months ago.
The Brave Blossoms have attempted to get up to speed for this match with tune-up games against club opposition, but they too will be out of practice at international level for this trip to Edinburgh.
It is a mark of the progress made by Jamie Joseph's side that they have been chosen as the opponents in this curtain-raiser, and when it comes to historical rugby pedigree there could not be much more between these two teams.
However, Japan will fancy their chances of catching the Lions cold and producing another result to make the world sit up and take notice, just as they did against South Africa at the 2015 World Cup and with victories over Ireland and Scotland en route to the 2019 World Cup quarter-finals.
The Brave Blossoms' standing in the Test arena remains uncertain, but Saturday is a chance for them to remind everyone just how quickly they are improving as a rugby nation.
Team News
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Gatland initially named four Scottish players in his starting XV for this match, but flanker Hamish Watson and prop Zander Fagerson have since been forced to withdraw from the contest.
Watson suffered concussion in training and so is unable to feature, being replaced by Justin Tipuric, while Fagerson has suffered a back spasm which will keep him out for the tour opener.
Ireland's Tadhg Furlong will come into the side in place of Fagerson, meaning that Kyle Sinckler - initially left out of the squad altogether - moves up to the replacements' bench.
Sinckler was one of a number of late arrivals to the training camp due to their involvement in the club season up to last weekend, with the Saracens contingent, Finn Russell and Tom Curry also only joining up with their teammates recently.
Saracens duo Owen Farrell and Jamie George will be on the bench after a season without top-flight rugby, but those involved in the Premiership final between Exeter Chiefs and Harlequins this weekend will not join up with the squad until Sunday.
The all-time Test appearance holder Alun Wyn Jones will captain the side from second-row, with Lions debutants Tadhg Beirne and Jack Conan in front of him in the scrum.
Bundee Aki will also don the famous jersey for the first time alongside Robbie Henshaw at centre, while Conor Murray and Dan Biggar form the half-back axis.
South African-born winger Duhan van der Merwe and Wales' Josh Adams will also be making their Lions debuts in the back three, joined by one of the stars of 2017 Liam Williams.
Japan named a 36-man squad for their tour of Europe, including 19 players who were involved in the memorable run to the 2019 World Cup quarter-finals.
Ten of the players who started that quarter-final will start again in their XV to face the Lions, but there is plenty of new blood too with four debutants.
Michael Leitch remains captain and is their most experienced player with 68 caps, but no fewer than 12 of the squad have never turned out for their country before.
Confirmed Lions starting lineup:
L Williams; Adams, Henshaw, Aki, Van der Merwe; Biggar, Murray; Sutherland, Owens, Furlong, Henderson, AW Jones (c), Beirne, Tipuric, Conan
Confirmed Japan starting lineup:
Yamanaka; Matsushima, Lafaele, Nakamura, Fifita; Tamura, Shigeno; Inagaki, Sakate, Koo, Van der Walt, Moore, Leitch (c), Labuschagne, Mafi
We say: British and Irish Lions to win
The Lions can often take time to gel and get up to speed, and as curtain-raisers go this is a particularly tough one against Japan.
Through a historical viewpoint this should be a straightforward win for one of rugby's greatest institutions against a nation who, prior to their unforgettable win over South Africa in 2015, were relative unknowns on the sport's map.
However, another way of looking at it is that it is a group of players who have never played together before against a World Cup quarter-finalist.
We expect the Lions to get the job done, but it might be a close encounter and do not be surprised if Japan are even able to pull off another famous result.
Barney Corkhill
