While the ten shirt is probably going to return to Stephen Jones for this weekend, the Lions have three fly-halves with them and they each offer different pros and cons. Ahead of the vital second test I take a look at what exactly it is they each bring to the position. There's no doubt that they are all class operators, and anyone who suggests otherwise is, IMHO a fool. The real question is which of these players is right for Pretoria, and consequently most likely to win us a victory. I'm not sure I have the answer to that, else I'd be petitioning Messrs. McGeechan, Gatland and Edwards but lets breakdown their play and see who's got what in their respective arsenals.

Stephen Jones
The incumbent and the odds on favourite to retain the shirt. Jones is the most balanced of the Lions fly-half options. He offers a solid defensive game that neither Hook or O'Gara can match, is perhaps less likely than Hook to scythe through the Springbok defense himself, but offers the flat pacey distribution that gets the outside backs moving, and from short to medium range is a good goal kicker.

Jones' understanding with those around him has been the best on tour. He's admittedly had the most game time with Roberts, O'Driscoll, Phillips et al, but he has consistently looked comfortable with his colleagues. In the first half of the first test, Jones was at times guilty of slightly less decisive distribution than we've seen to date, but he remains the best catalyst for our game breakers. He's a player with understanding and in this area he leads the other 10's.

Despite two pressure kick misses in the 1st test, Jones is a proven test goal kicker and a reliable one at that. What he doesn't offer is the extreme range of Hook, or on this tour at least (save a wayward anomaly last night) the metronomic impeccability of O'Gara. With both of the following tests at altitude, Frans Steyn, Morné Steyn and Ruan Pienaar can be expected to take on kicks from considerable range and if Stephen Jones has his chances, he simply has to come away with points.

Ronan O'Gara
The Munsterman looked thoroughly dejected last night following the Emerging Springbok game. The only thing that raised a rye smile was the suggestion that he was only ever going to get the 45mins game time he was eventually afforded.

O'Gara is clearly not the running fly-half that either Jones or Hook are. While he does have some nice passing and running moves in the locker, all too often this part of his game comes with signs attached. Perfectly weighted balls like the one that handed Tommy Bowe the first try on tour do exist in O'Gara's arsenal, but often he's as likely to be lined up and smashed as he is likely to ghost through a gap. His defence may not be the best, but he shirks little as an excellent attempt on a rampaging Jean Deysel proved. His real strengths however, lie in game management where he is the canniest and best equipped of the Lions options.

O'Gara is the classic thinking fly-half. He looks up, assesses the battlefield and responds accordingly. Last night against the Emerging Boks O'Gara didn't have his finest game, but in the driving, lashing rain he chose to send a bomb high into the tempest rather than settle for the obvious kick to touch. It ended up being slightly over kicked and caught, but it could have as easily been dropped in the swirling conditions. It was smart, up to the minute, thinking.

Likewise, on his day, O'Gara is the king of pinning the corners. If it's on and the space is available, the Irishman knows how to hit it. Aimless kicking down the throat of opposition catchers/kickers/chasers this is not. He knows how to sap a team with territory swallowing touchfinders and his ability to stay cool when the chips are down is tried and tested. He's not likely to win you a test match by a cricket score, but his ability when the game is tight is underrated.

O'Gara is the sort of fly-half that allows a team to play in the right areas of the pitch - a capability that can't be underestimated given the Boks ability to slot drop goals from 50m in the rarified atmosphere of Loftus. His goal kicking range is considerably better than Jones' and while I'd say that in the crucible of the test environment both are similarly likely to slot any given attempt, O'Gara adds the option of range.

James Hook
The youngster of the three, Hook is the mercurial option. He isn't Carlos Spencer, but he's the closest thing to a game breaker that the Lions possess at 10. He also adds the long range howitzer place boot and as a running fly-half he's no slouch.

Hook is more likely than either of the other option to glide through unchallenged and for wheels is clearly the best represented. He's an elusive runner with a great change of pace. He's also a genuine utility back with the ability to play at 12 and 15 as well as 10 if required. While his kicking from hand may not be the peer of O'Gara for placement and judgement, he does have a prodigious boot and at altitude where the Lions do not want to find themselves pinned down by the greater firepower of Frans Steyn and co, this could come in handy.

As a place kicker Hook may not have the pedigree and experience of his colleagues but he has no problem with pressure. Nicknamed "Kahunas" following his late long-range penalty against Western Province, the young man knows how to deliver when the chips are down.

His real strength however is as a game changer. He is sometimes guilty of crabby, lateral running, but he inevitably injects momentum and pace into a game and at times considerable incision. He's got a decent range of chip kicks also and is the most attacking of the three fly-halfs.

His weakness however is in game management and the occasional silly error. Both have improved immensely of late and on this tour he looks twice as composed as he did even a year ago, but he still sometimes takes the wrong decision with ball in hand and has an unfortunate, though fading, reputation for throwing interception passes. Bryan Habana is up there with Brian O'Driscoll as the chief international snaffler (CIS) of loopy interceptable passes, and you can bet your bottom dollar that a stray pass will end up under the Lion posts.

Hook is clearly the boldest of the three options, but in many ways he's the most exciting. It's a hugely tough three-way call. We'll have to wait and see!