We all know that Meyer would choose differently - but based on performance - the question really is who members think should be in the Springbok team.
My team would be as follows:-
15 Willie Le Roux
14 Lwazi Mvovo
13 Damian de Allende
12 Jean de Villiers
11 Bryan Habana
10 Johan Goosen *1
9 Fourie du Preez *2
8 Duane Vermeulen
7 Schalk Burger
6 Francois Louw *3
5 Flip van der Merwe
4 Eben Etzebeth *4
3 Frans Malherbe *5
2 Bismarck du plessis
1 Tendai Mtawarire
16 Adriaan Strauss
17 Trevor Nyakane *6
18 Coenie Oosthuizen
19 Paul Willemse
20 Jean Deysel
21 Faf de Klerk
22 Jan Serfontein
23 Morne Steyn
*1 We have a problem at flyhalf. Lambie is injured and Pollard is not available due to the Under 20 WC. Francois Steyn is no flyhalf - he sabotaged any potential backline play - his defense is suspect and his kickng at goal is becoming brittle. Morne Steyn has had very llttle game time at Stade Francais - they obviously find he is inadequate as a flyhalf. Boshoff has run out of steam and so has Potgieter. If Lambie and Pollard were available my choice would have been different.
*2 Fourie du Preez is a gamble - he is getting on in years and there is an "epidemic" bedeviling Japanese rugby - the fitness level and speed of players go down. Du Preez was relatively good in some tests he played in last year - in others he was not visible and he made some serious mistakes as well. Pienaar is off the boil and as far as I am concerned he is not test material anymore. The remainder are Reinach, Hougaard and Pretorius in that order. If Du Preez misfires in the June tests, the latter three players are serious contenders for the RC tests.
*3 I do not know what is to happen here. My first choice remains Francois Louw. Kolisi is badly out of form. Brussow is the best local alternative, Coetzee is not available.
*4 Etzebeth has not played any rugby for nearly 6 months and nobody seems to know when he will be back. Du Toit is out for the year. Matfied is not physical as a lock - he is just a line out jumper nothing else. If Etzebeth is not available the lock selection would have to be changed.
*5 Jannie scrumming is seemingly in order - if the number of penalties is not a consideration. He brings nothing to the game outide of scrumming and is in fact a liability. I would have little to choose ebtween Mallherbe and Oosthuizen - but am still worried about his neck injury,
*6 Nyakane is not worse than other potentialc andidates and is a BEE choice - the best one available.
