Harlequins winger Ugo Monye has been handed his first Lions Test cap only eight months after making his international debut for England.

The 26 year old, who has scored four tries on tour, won the fight to play on the left wing here in Saturday's first match against South Africa instead of Wales' World Player of the Year Shane Williams.

That decision was one of two that head coach Ian McGeechan admitted had taken nearly two hours of selection meetings to resolve. The other was the choice of openside flanker, with Ireland's David Wallace getting the nod to play in the back row over Welshman Martyn Williams.

McGeechan said: "Ugo Monye is a proven finisher and has played well on tour and his was one position where it took some time to debate our choice. Some decisions were very tight but Ugo has held his hand up and has been picked as a result."

Monye's England team-mate Tom Croft has also earned a call-up to play at blindside flanker - a remarkable achievement for the Leicester Tiger, who was not even in the original tour squad named in April.

McGeechan added: "There was a lot of debate because some players demanded consideration. Tom Croft is one player who did that and you pick people on their form and fitness on a tour like this and he is the right call. He gives us balance in the back-row and we are in a strong position because besides David Wallace starting we have Martyn Williams on the bench to use over the 80 minutes.

“South Africa are probably the best team in the world, very talented and have a very settled coaching set up. We are under no illusions about how good they are.

“This is an important time for the squad and after I read out the names of the 22 for the Test, players shook each others hands and showed the great team spirit we have created. We then went out for a meal together as an entire squad and that was very important.”

McGeechan has selected six Welsh players, five Irish and four from England — Monye, Croft, Phil Vickery and hooker Lee Mears — and will boast 633 Test caps but 10 of the side will be playing in their first Lions Test.

That will put even more pressure on captain Paul O'Connell who is partnered in the second-row by
Alun-Wyn Jones.

The selectors did, though, overlook prop Andrew Sheridan, who doesn't even make the bench.

Lions v South Africa

15 Lee Byrne (Wal)
14 Tommy Bowe (Ire)
13 Brian O'Driscoll (Ire)
12 Jamie Roberts (Wal)
11 Ugo Monye (Eng)
10 Stephen Jones (Wal)
9 Mike Phillips (Wal)
1 Gethin Jenkins (Wal)
2 Lee Mears (Eng)
3 Phil Vickery (Eng)
4 Alun-Wyn Jones (Wal)
5 Paul O'Connell (Ire, cap)
6 Tom Croft (Eng)
7 David Wallace (Ire)
8 Jamie Heaslip (Ire)

Replacements: M Rees (Wal), A Jones (Wal), D O'Callaghan (Ire), R O'Gara (Ire), M Williams (Wal), H Ellis (Eng), R Kearney (Ire)