Riki Flutey's finally ready to roar into Test action

The former London Wasps centre, who will play for Brive next season, has battled his way back from a tour-threatening knee injury sustained against The Royal XV in the opening game to force his way into Test contention.

After the Royals match the England international confined himself to his hotel room for two days, icing the injury every two hours to ensure he could remain on tour.

Flutey said: "It was quite lonely being in my room just icing it up, but at the end of the day that is what it takes.

"I'm 29 and I know my body pretty well. I knew I needed to put all those hours of treatment to have a chance of staying on tour."

His commitment paid off and he started the ill-tempered encounter against the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth before impressing on each of his subsequent midweek outings.

Concussed Brian O'Driscoll's departure from Johannesburg has left the door open for the New Zealand-born Flutey to grab a Test call-up.

O'Driscoll left South Africa this morning with a parting shot at Springbok coach Peter de Villiers for not condemning Schalk Burger for gouging Luke Fitzgerald in last Saturday's Test in Pretoria.

After meeting his bosses on Monday, De Villiers issued a grovelling apology for appearing to suggest he condoned Burger's actions but O'Driscoll insists it was too little, too late.

"When I heard those comments I wondered how someone can get away with something like that," O'Driscoll said. "Irrespective of any apology I find it an absolute disgrace that a coach of a national team can make comments as he did about gouging being part of the game.

"To hear a national coach saying, in any shape or form, that gouging is acceptable in the modern day game is despicable. Essentially it brought the game into disrepute."

De Villiers faces an International Rugby Board investigation into his comments made at a press conference on Monday, when he also suggested the Lions should "take up ballet and buy some tutus" if they did not enjoy the physicality of Test rugby.

Flutey remains more concerned with making sure he claims a starting spot at Ellis Park for this week's Third Test.

His main competition for the vacated outside-centre berth comes from O'Driscoll' s Ireland team-mate Gordon D'Arcy, although Jamie Roberts's wrist injury may force head coach Ian McGeechan into selecting an all-new centre pairing.

McGeechan also has concerns over the fitness of winger Tommy Bowe, whose elbow injury could provide Ugo Monye with the chance to make up for his First Test disappointment when he missed two try-scoring chances.

The Lions coach is expected to wait until lunchtime tomorrow to name his starting XV, with Wasps prop Tim Payne in contention less than a fortnight after he joined the squad as both Adam Jones (shoulder) and Gethin Jenkins (cheekbone) are ruled out.

Despite the injuries, scrum-half Mike Phillips is convinced the Lions can end their tour on a high.

He said: "People said we had no chance in Pretoria, and we were by far the better team. We can win on Saturday. We have got enough tools to go out there and get the victory, so we will be gunning for it."

Bakkies Botha will face an appeal panel tomorrow morning to contest the two-week suspension he received for the "dangerous charge" that led to Jones dislocating his shoulder.

"We realise that it's a tough game but what is disappointing for us was that there was no reason for Bakkies to be cited," said Boks' attack coach Dick Muir.

The home side will not contest Burger's eight-week suspension despite De Villiers's bizarre comments.