New test prospects ...based on the action so far.

Coetzee is doing very well and a very useful prospect give that the weakest aspect of Springbok rugby is the breakdown, the more effective individuals here the better! The Bulls pack was monstrous as always and that will always require a team effort. As stated before, Brussow is the only fetcher in the world who can sap a dominant pack on the charge.

The perpetual lack of centres is the next big worry. We never produce any centres! It's embarrassing.

 
Visser and Hendricks don't do it for me. Mediocre as far as I'm concerned.

I'm impressed with De Allende at 12.

We haven't exactly seen the likes of Howard or Hanekom given a shot at Super Rugby which is a pity cause I rate them and would love to see them develop.

I thought Jordaan looked pretty impressive before he got injured.

Mvovo to me has really put up his hand. Not sure what your issue with him is. Don't care either. He's a powerful man with a lot of pace and a high work rate. Fully deserves a call up. Best 11 in South Africa if you ask me

I'm not sure how much longer Derrik Minnie can be ignored. Best 6 we got at the moment.   

The season still has a way to go.

 

 Mozart
What was mpre disappointing is the performances oif the existing Springboks.   Lets look at them carefully:-

Bjorn Basson      3/10JJ Engelbrecht    5/10Jan Serfontein    6/10Francois Steyn  3,5/10  (without Goalkicking 2/10)Jannie du Plessis  4/10Willem Alberts      6/10Flip van der Merwe 7/10Jean de Villiers 7/10
I did not rate the others - but there is nothing much to report.
The biggest flop was Francois Steyn - his performances, other than kicking at goal -  was sick.

 
Why then did he win man of the match, Mike?

Flip of a coin ... perhaps?

I like van der Walt but I can't quite see  him in tests. Maybe if he wasn't forced to play so loose one could make a better call. I also like SP but the magic is fading a bit as the S15 goes along.  Likewise de Allende. He showed early, but his last two games have not impressed.

 Mozart
A number 8 is supposed to be the link between the backline and the forwards.  Our present problem is that link is not really working since we expect from our 7's and 8's to be extra lock fo rwards and part of the tight 5.
All the great number 8's  SA ever had were players who played on the loose side and not as an additional tight 5 player.  
In all fairness there should be a mixture in evidence and you should actually look at a player like Read as an example pf what really is required from an 8 - he is no doubt at present the best no 8 in world rugby.   
The nearest player we have to the Read type of player is in fact Van der Walt.   Vermeulen is good - but he does not really have the pace and most of the time he tends to play too tight.  There are extremely rare exceptions when he effectively link up with the backline - one example being the one Habana try at Ellis Park.         .     

 I would nominate Warren Whitely, he has done exceptionally well in a no name brand team. Really quick, good hands and can talk. Perfect body type for an 8. 

I don't think there is one type of number eight. Hennie  Muller was a speedster and open field type like  Big Joe and Skinstad. Hopwood played very tight as a link, much like Vermeulen or Alberts. Reid is perhaps an ideal balance now, a few years back he wasn't as impressive.
I like Whitely as well, but I'd put him a step below van der Walt.
It seems to me  none of the newbies are making an undeniable case like Etzebeth did a few years back

 Jacques Potgieter is performing at the 'Thas' as a lock. His open play has been exceptional. If not the run on side the last 20 from the bench could be an idea. D ont play him as a loosie though. 

 Mozart
In all fairness I do not think the following has really made an impact qualifying them for selection or re-selection:-
*   Habana - is injured and had a very few games this year
*   Engelbrecht - non-performance thus far this year
*   Francois Steyn - goal kicking very good - other aspects poor
*   Morne Steyn - goal kicking good - rest of game iffy
*   Etzebeth - injured so no game time yet.  
*   Jannie du Plessis - scrumming average - rest of game iffy 
In general I am happy with what the rest of the players produced and I expect Habana and Etzebeth will actually qualify once they were given more game time.
15   Le Roux14   Pietersen12   De Villiers  8  Vermeulen  5  Van der Merwe  2  Bismarck/Strauss  1  Beast
To my mind we have not solved the issue of the 13 yet.  Fourie is not the answer and Saffex will swear by Engelbrecht - but is he the answer?  Think not.   You said De Allende is a player like Halstead - with speed.  Steyn is a player like Halstead with the same or even less speed.   I would certainly look at De Allende at 13 and De Villiers at 12.   If De Allende has enough speed to play on the wing - he certainly have enough to play at 13.
If performance is a norm then the answer at 10 would be Boshoff or Goosen.  Boshoff is a different player than Morne Steyn.  He is a better goal-kicker than Steyn (he is also a reliable drop kicker which Morne is not anymore) and he reads games better than Morne and also attacks the gain line - which Morne never does.   Goosen's recent goal kicking has been good and his general play better than Morne's.
At scrumhalf we have seen only Faf de Klerk staking a claim with Reinach doing so to a more limited extent.  I suppose Meyer would stick to van den Heever.
At 8 there are now more candidates for selection - I would say Vermeulen, Van der Walt and to a more limited extent Whiteley are interesting players in that position.
At 7 I still have problems with Alberts.  He tends not to go into mauls - but stand around mauls waiting for balls to come his way.  He scored three tries this year - but all three came frorn that type of play.  Alberts are far too limited a player to be an effective loosie in any event.  I was hoping Burger would make the grade - he was promising in a number of games.   However, I do not think that he will overcome his injury problems at his age and he is likely to fade out of contention.  The only real prospect is Du Plessis.   He is both a better line out jumper and all round player than Alberts.
Jannie du Plessis is becoming a problem - his scrumming is problematic if the number of penalties he gives away is borne in mind.  Of the other two tight heads I think Coenie was good - but am still worried about his neck injury problems.  Malherbe really has done well in all the games he played in and is the other alternative.  His all-round game is better than Jannie's in any event.