Duncan Casey: Tadhg Beirne, Conor Murray, and Bundee Aki should swell Irish Lions starters

While there are strong arguments against changing a winning team, the nature of the victory doesn’t convince me that Warren Gatland should, or will, stay with the original starting 15

Bundee Aki, Conor Murray, Robbie Henshaw, and Tom Curry during the British & Irish Lions Captain's Run at Cape Town Stadium. Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Sportsfile

As the Impi warriors performed their traditional pre-match battle cry in the silence of an empty Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, the travesty of ploughing ahead with a Covid-era Lions series — despite dozens of reasons to do otherwise — was laid bare for all to see.

As civil unrest continues to wreak havoc across the country, the games occurring against the backdrop of 337 riot-related deaths will hardly sit well with many South Africans, who have watched their country descend into chaos in recent weeks.