TEST MATCHES between South Africa and the British and Irish Lions have their roots firmly embedded in the history of rugby. They have enriched the game and provided golden memories of some unforgettable encounters, dramatic events spread over a century of competition.

The background against which South Africa will meet the Lions in the first Test at Newlands this evening (4.15 Irish time) is, however, unique in the annals of the game on several counts.

It is the first professional Lions tour, so money as well as glory will be a factor. The kick-off time has been decreed by television requirements - he who pays the cheque calls the time. This means it will start as darkness begins to envelop the ground and the greater part will be played under lights. There is no precedent for this.

Getting away from the financial and commercial issues, hard though it is to do so in this allegedly enlightened era, the tour has set a precedent in another respect. While the Tests are the centrepiece of any tour, in the past, the provincial matches brought the Test contenders from both teams into opposition. Those matches were factors in decreeing the composition of the Test teams.

Like much else in the game, even that has changed. The form shown to date by the Lions players was a primary factor in the selection of the side doing duty today. But not so with the Springboks. Three weeks ago, the shutters came down and the new South African coach, Carel du Plessis, refused to release any of his front-line squad players from the national panel to play for their provinces against the Lions.

It has been a contentious issue here with opinion divided on the merit of Du Plessis' decision. So this afternoon, only one member of the Springboks team has played against the Lions. He is right wing James Small. He played for Western Province against the tourists before the Springboks went into camp.

There is an audible body of opinion which believes Du Plessis was wrong and that his decision has enabled the Lions to get an easier passage in the provincial matches and thus build up an impetus and bolster their confidence.

Du Plessis is a man under pressure and his press conferences are evidence of that. He was brought in to coach the national team when the South African union had no option but to dismiss his predecessor, Andre Markgraaff, after he was recorded making racists comments.

Du Plessis, a very distinguished former player, has no representative coaching experience. In his first match in charge of the Springboks last Tuesday week, his team brushed Tonga aside. It was scarcely a test of consequence for the Springboks, or du Plessis.

Du Plessis has readily admitted that: "This will be the first meaningful Test". He has also acknowledged: "Yes, I do feel nervous. But no matter how well you prepare a team, it is up to the players to perform.

"I have no regrets about not releasing my players for the provincial matches. I do not think it weakened the provinces appreciably and some of them did not have any players in the squad in any case." But some of them did, and they have expressed their objections.

There has been some surprise in South Africa at the tactical approach adopted by the Lions and the quality of the rugby they have played.

"It is more expansive than I had anticipated. There is a lot of quality in that team," said the Springboks scrum-half, Joost van der Westhuizen. He is a key man for the Springboks, rated, probably correctly so, as the best in the game in his position.

The broad perception among the South Africans is that the Lions are vulnerable in the scrum. Markgraaff for instance has stated: "The Lions backs have been impressive, but the forwards have struggled in the scrum. That is their weak point and it must be exploited. The Springboks must be aggressive on every Lions put-in.

Markgraaff has singled out Ireland's two representatives in the front row, hooker Keith Wood and tight head Paul Wallace, as being vulnerable. "Any international team with a problem at tight head and hooker is in trouble," he said.

While the Lions' scrummaging was not good against Western Province or, to a more pronounced extent, against Northern Transvaal, there has been no problem since as forward coach Jim Telfer has worked extremely hard on that vital area. Wallace has stood up to every demand imposed on him, as has Wood, and neither was in the Lions pack when there was a scrummaging problem. Markgraaff's analysis did not take account of that. Wallace will be faced by the man rated the best loose head in the game, the 19-stone Os du Randt.

There is no doubt that in the modern game where line-out ball is more predictable, the scrum has again assumed a vital importance-: Lions coach Ian McGeechan and Telfer both readily admit that. Telfer believes that the Lions will cope adequately in the scrum and in all the areas of forward play.

"We have picked a pack aimed at mobility. All the members of our pack are good ball players. They can give and take a pass and it is a very mobile unity. That includes all three front-row players.

"We will go in low in the scrum. Forward mobility has been a key element in every side that has beaten the Springboks. We are not set on a war of attrition up front. That is not the game we aim to play."

Jeremy Davidson, in the second row, is the third Irish representative in the pack. He has been excellent not only in the line out, where his high jumping and clean catching have been so good, but also in his general contribution. It is unfortunate that Eric Miller will not be playing as his ball skills, pace and athleticism would have been the ideal complement to flankers Lawrence Dallaglio and Richard Hill.

If, as Telfer believes, the Lions have got it right up front and deal adequately with the Springboks forwards, then it could be that the pre-tour odds of five to one on the Springboks to win all three Tests will look to have been an extremely bad investment.

Scrum-half Robert Howley represents a big loss to the Lions, but his replacement, Matt Dawson, is a very good player well capable of getting the best out of a very talented Lions back line.

The centre pairing of Scott Gibbs and Jeremy Guscott will be faced by Japie Muilder and Edrich Lubbe. Guscott and Gibbs, two very experienced and skilful players, will do damage if they get the opportunities.

Gregor Townsend at out-half will be faced by the hard-tackling Henry Honiball and will get some attention from Ruben Kruger. Likewise, Hill can put pressure on Honiball, who is likely to test the positional play of Lions full back Neil Jenkins.

The referee today is Colin Hawke of New Zealand and his interpretations and law application will be important. One thing he must do is apply the law properly in relation to players staying on their feet and not diving into rucks and killing the ball.

"I will not be pedantic over petty 50-50 infringements, the benefit of the doubt will be in favour of continuity," he said. "I will warn both teams about safety in the scrum and hope for the co-operation of both teams.

"I will welcome an approach that favours continuity," said Lions captain Martin Johnson. "It is not a secret that we will try to play an open running game." How open and how much running will, of course, depend on possession - its quality and its quantity.

The Lions will look to the skies this morning and hope for a fine day and a dry sod. One thing that McGeechan and du Plessis are agreed on is that the first Test is crucial. No team has ever won a series here after losing the first Test. With the series now embracing three not four Tests, as in the past, a win this afternoon is indeed crucial.

It is not the spectre of the all-conquering 1974 Lions that hangs over the Springboks, it is the 1996 All Blacks. For the first time in history, the Springboks lost a Test series on their own soil to the All Blacks last season.

Springboks captain Gary Teichmann led the team when the series was lost. "I do not want to lead the side that loses to the Lions as well," he said. He knows, as does du Plessis, that the South African public will not easily accept a situation of successive Test series defeats.

Both coaches have emphasised the necessity to avoid mistakes. They are likely to be punished. Equally, the place kicking will be important and here Jenkins has been in superb form.

The Lions must not find themselves chasing the game after about 20 minutes. One thing about the Lions is that they have finished strongly in every match, if, as Telfer says, they are in the game with 15 minutes to go, then they could upset the odds and win.

"The concentration must not slip as the players get tired. That applies to both sides," said Telfer.

"We think we have selected a side that will win the match," said McGeechan. Let us hope he is proved to be correct.