Dalton likes Marx, Vermeulen and Kolisi as our loose trio....

Interesting.....but of course Kolisi remains a weak link. Having Vermeulen and Marx hunting together would make us a force on the ground. And with two such physical players we could afford to play Kwagga to give us wide coverage: Malcolm Marx is capable of making a successful transition from hooker to openside flank, writes former Springbok hooker JAMES DALTON. Marx is quick enough, he’s big enough and he plays towards the ball in an era of rugby where so much revolves around the breakdown. The Springboks are, and always have been, spoilt for choice when it comes to their pack. This year is no different, and a positional shift for South African rugby’s 2017 Player of the Year, may be the best way the Boks can utilise their wealth of heavies. Marx has been criticised before for his lineout ability, and is part of a Lions front row that doesn’t evidently dominate scrums. So why endure the negative aspects to his game, when we can make way for an environment where only his positive ones are displayed? We have quality depth at hooker in Schalk Brits and Bongi Mbonambi, and a positional vacancy at openside, whereby the No 6s of the last few years have found their roles undefined. Marx could fill the Sam Cane-like role that South Africa has been lacking – the specialist opensider who allows for disruption at rucktime, which is the area of the game where most plays evolve from. With Marx specialising as an opensider also allows for further positional malleability within the starting pack and on the bench. Let’s work from a starting loose trio of Duane Vermuelen at No 8, Marx at 6 and Siya Kolisi at 7, with the latter’s style of play lending himself to the blindside as he is a strong ball-carrier and a skilled link between the backs and forwards. Brits and Mbonambi can now become interchangeable at hooker, leaving the Boks bolstered with specialised skill at No 2 and with the option to shift Marx back to hooker towards the end of games and open up space on the pitch for an extra loose forward. A dynamic loosie like Kwagga Smith, whose form this season cannot be ignored, can now be optioned on the bench, but not necessarily at the expense of a physical bench presence like Jean-Luc Du Preez. What you’re doing is creating a bigger pool of talent within your pack of eight. Rugby starts and ends at the breakdown, and Marx will have the ability at flank, without the responsibility at hooker, to upset the ruck and therein disrupt opposition momentum. His presence in the open would complete a powerful loose trio that at times last year looked to lack cohesion, probably due to non-specificity in their roles at 6, 7 and 8. Marx already plays the game of a flank, but wearing the No 2 jersey. His only adjustment in shaking the No 2 from his back would have to be the running lines on attack and defence, which I imagine would be a fast adaption. In a World Cup year, the Springboks need as many of their best players on the field at once, and most importantly their strongest pack. This positional shake-up would offer a new way to utilise these players’ talents within the numerical restriction of selection.

Du Toit the best blindsider in the world......geez I thought that was Stampkar. You can't be serious Hasbeen....tallest left wing maybe.

A back row of Marx, Vermeulen and Kwagga could be exceptional. 
Probably too late now with the Marx experiment, as he could have played SuperRugby first of all and got conditioned to play as an open side with more running. 
Marx is the best fetcher in world rugby, so playing in the openside would give him the chance to have even more impact on the game.A hooker is the last to break from a scrum, so he is blocked from the openside at scrum time.  It is also about comparing existing resources at number 6 - and there are not many specialist fetchers.
If Bismark is still in good form he could play at 2- and he has a better throw. 

Agree it's probably too late....but it could have been awesome.

Dan Ribbetjies du Preez is a Deysel clone......stupidity seems to run in the family and he got his fair share. The moment he is up against the NH packs and encounters real physicality, bet on him to disappear. These Deysel twins have now been the coming thing for 4 years without any noticeable broadening of their skill sets. Coetzee is a far more talented player among the younger number 8's.

Coetzee's legs have sellotaped together for the best part of the last 3 years, so we just need to see if he is still mobile. He was good at the Sharks - in all three positions of the back row - but a while back.
He was the energiser bunny as the first tackler at the ruck. Although his all-around work rate also included some turnovers and ball carries. He is far more of a complete player that both Diesel' s put together. 

I'm referring to Jaco Coetzee....Marcel was and is vastly overrated, but a more aware player than the narrowly programmed Dan Deysel.

I forgot about Jaco Coetzee. He seems to have disappeared off the radar. 

Our only options as a trio are: At 6 - Kolisi, Jaco Kriel and Kwagga At 7 - JL du Preez, Jacques du Plessis, Liebenberg and Ruan Ackerman At 8 - Marcel Coetzee, Dan du Preez and Jaco Coetzee - Vermeulen maybe but not ahead of Dan or Marcel - no way in hell