Is this the making of the best boks ever?

Just think back to the day he boldly announced he was quitting the Reds and putting himself up as a candidate for the Wallabies job.

Let’s not forget the posturing that Jim Carmichael, Quade Cooper and Will Genia were putting out in the media.

McKenzie was supposed to be the knight in shining armour, the messiah who would save Australian rugby from the “toxic” and lamentable Kiwi Robbie Deans.

Deans, the bloke who Greg Martin referred to as a double agent, who plotted the downfall of rugby in this country by not selecting a certain Queensland prodigal son."

Is Link really Australia’s knight in shining armour?

The current crop of Wallabies have been labelled the worst squad in 30 years. By 11:30 am on Sunday morning, we will be able to judge for ourselves regardless of the result.

There is a very good core of players in the Springbok team - but there are also iffy players that really should be replaced.   I would say a team comprising the following would be virtually unbeatable by any opposing team competing for the title next year:

15   SP Marais, 14  Willie le Roux,  13  JJ Engelbrecht, 12  Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana,  10  Johan Goosen,  9  Fourie Du Preez,  8  Arno Botha,  7  Lappies Labuschagne,  6  Francois Louw, 5  Pieter-Steph du Toit,  4  Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2  Bismarck du Plessis,  1  Tendai Mtawarire

Replacements :

16 Adriaan Strauss,  17 Coenie Oosthusien,  18 Trevor Nyakane, 19  Rynhardt Elstadt, 20  Duane Vermeulen, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Patrick Lambie,  23 Jan Serfontein 

The performance of the above in Super 15 will be crucial to determine real candidates - but the following players will have to watch out for competition from other players:

SP Marais :   Taute, Boshoff, Francois Steyn(?)

JJ Engelbrecht :  Stokkies Hanekom, Damien de Allende, Paul Jordaan (Jan Serfontein could replace him and one of the others on the bench) .

Duane Vermeulen :  Very average - but watch out for some top-performing newbies

Cobus Reinach :  Van Zyl, Pretorius.

I have included Elstadt as a lock replacement - he is ideal for that position and could also cover the loosie positions (7 and 8)

I put a question mark behind Francois Steyn - because he is rather slow for a full bak and will not add value to the team.

The backline would be dynamite - Marais is another brainy player in the Willie le Roux mould.  The loosies will be mobile enough and very effective in all aspects of loosie play (not as limited as the present combination is).  I deliberately left out Jannie du Plessi - he has gone backwards over the past year.

Of the above only four players in the starting line-up has not played for the Springboks as yet - on the bench there are only two newbies.   That would mean from 23 players there are six changes that is being recommended.

Also watch out for Zeilinga next year - he has produced some magical performances this year in CC at flyhalf.