Springbok World Cup Squad 8 August - Who would you pick who do yo think the coaches will pick

So the final test before the World Cup squad being announced on 8 August. It leaves us with the last test match against Argentina. To date, I have not seen an A team vs a B team but some really questionable selections and lack of selection for certain players. There are only 12 test in a year, as an international coach you should pick your best players at all time where possible including player work load. That said, the last 18 months have given us no indication of who should go. I have seen any decent combinations being formed at all. 

Here is the list of the current players with the players I think are dead certain no matter what and those I believe will not make the squad. 

Prop, Hooker, Lock, Loose forward, Scrumhalf and outside backs are the ones I have no clue what the coaches are thinking. Then we also have the wonderful selection head ache of reaching quotas. 

Props

So a guy like Du Toit might loose out to fat Trev. A guy like Kleyn, might loose out to Orie and Mostert. Steenkamp will not get selected

Hooker

Bongi and Marx are the two main hookers, Dwebe has potential. Fourie is a loose forward and hasn't played at hooker since 2017 6 years. Why is he in the team. Would you trust him as your hooker in a World Cup final? 

Locks 

Orie should even be in the World Cup squad, we have so many quality locks. The Lood, only got 40 min of game time before being yanked off the field against NZ, he was meant to start on Saturday but is sick. Do we need 6 locks, probably only 4, with PSDT cover lock. I would drop Mostert and Orie. We don't need 5 locks. 

Loose forward

Roos and JL Du Preez will definitely not be on the plane. We will see wee Kwagga and an injured Kolisi travel to the World Cup and he might not even play a single game. I would have not selected Kolisi as he hasn't played a single game and we are 4 weeks out from the World Cup. You can't recover fast in time. The we have Fourie, most likely to get the nod ahead of Dwebe. Unlucky, as I think Dwebe could have benefitted from being at the World Cup.

Scrumhalf

Hendrikse has not played a single game and thanks to the Wisdom of the coaches, hasn't been selected. If he gets in the squad I'll pull my hair out. I rate this guy and he has a long future. But with not playing at all is a no no in my book. I see Jantjies getting the pine on Sat and probably our weakest scrumhalf right now.

Flyhalf

This has been a shit show from day one. We rely too much no Pollard, he is injured and haven't played a single game since April. We only have Libbok and Willemse have shown time and again he is not a 10. We had the opportunity to bring Robert Du Preez back as well as Goosen. Not that I'm saying Goosen is a pick, we then have Jantjies that did even make the match day 23. So we only gave game time to Libbok and Willemse. Very poor management 

Centers

I do think Estershuizen will be the unlucky one as Willemse can cover 12 as well as Pollard. 

However, should we pick players that have not played a single game or with very few minutes of games played? I watched the game again yesterday and to be honest, Kriel didn't do anything spectacular but was really solid. Our defence stood well with him at 13. I would almost opt for 4 specialist centres and mark Willemse as a Reserve fullback. 

Outside Backs

Mpimpi will get another crack, but I don't think he should go. Then, Arendse wasn't as effective against Argentina and neither were Kolbe able to combine well. I don't think we need 2 players that are very similar. So me Moodie gets the nod. He makes a lot of meters, doesn't get shunted to touch easily and can cover full back and 13. Also the youngest player in the team and would be great to have him there. I would definitely drop Mpimpi, he has great back story, he got his glory. But time to move on. 

The average age of your certain picks is 30.3. The typical WC winning team is 28. And that’s being generous Willemse and Libbok won’t start….leaving our starters close to 31in average age.

I believe in experience but what we are seeing is complacency. Harrassmiss has not managed a normal development cycle, after the WC our rugby is about to fall off a cliff.

Saffex, I like the list of players you mentioned but I'm just looking at those in the squad. I agree that there are a number of players that should have been integrated into the team but we are stuck with the current crop. 

So out of this lot, who would be your 33?

Don’t get him started, Mpower !! 

Just looked at this Klopper, on paper he seems like a beast. To be honest, I wasn’t paying close attention to the props or locks. Normally look at the loose forwards and backs. Hooker is one area I also look at and then of course the line outs. 

I do think we neglect the importance of props and how it can shape the game. There is nothing better than a dominant scrum. Refs and world rugby fucked this up

Again, they are using the test matches to dial in the team and trial players. They have turned the boks into one big experiment. 

If you are not selecting your best team, should it even be called a test?

I see England 15 playing Wales. They are all test players but the don’t call it a test match.

Which this game against Argentina should be. 

Also, fans are suspect of the boks. Never seen Ellis park so empty for a test match

As bad as Erasputin is, I'm extremely grateful that he is the coach and not Saddex. Saddex would be Straeuli, but the Shameless version of him. 

Yeah, I follow the props I know, but for some reason the bulls scrum didn't impress me much this year or maybe I tend pay close attention. Will do it in the new season. 

On paper, the do have some prime beef in that pack. 

Hope Jake stops his musical chairs and allow the guys to settle into a grove. Send the youngster north so that they can grind it out on the away games. 

Also add Grobler and Jan Hendrik Wessels and becomes a formidable front row. 

If Nortje can put on another 10 kg in the off season or even 20 kg, They Louw and Van Staden at the back. 

Hope to see that bull dominant pack we saw back in 2022 that destroyed the Irish teams. They weren't as physical last season

Saffex your 1st choice 33 is a very good one.

"My 33 would be

15. Willie / Gelant

14/11. Mapimpi / Moodie / Kolbe / Arendse

13/12. Am / JVR / de Allende / Esterhuizen / Willemse

10. Pollard / Libbok

9. Faf / Williams

1/3. Kitshoff / Ox / Malherbe / Thomas du Toit / Wilco Louw

2. Marx / Mbonambi

4/5. Etzebeth / Lood / Jenkins / RG Snyman

6/7/8. Kolisi / Kwagga / PSDT / JL du Preez / Roos / Wiese / Dan du Preez

Standby:

Fassi

Tambwe

Kriel

Serfontein

Jantjies

Hendrikse

Gerhard Steenkamp

Dweba

Koch

Kleyn

Ruben v Heerden

v Staaden

Elrigh Louw"

At this stage our WC hinges on Pollard recovering soon enough to get some form before the knockouts. Libbok is brilliant in space but the Boks will never play his kind of game eg facing France in the Quarters.

Agree Saffex to coach Seb.

haha saf, I certainly don't patrionize you but give credit when it's due.Simple I just like a common sense selection as it stands...there is no magic wand selection at the moment, only common sense.

Libbok is a turnstyle who will crab. The way he was dragged to the middle of the field and dumped in both of the last tests was appalling. He is another Goosen. Pollard is our best bet. It's Jantjies as the next best. But, we aren't structured in a way that maximises a good 10. So it's about a 10 who can physically hold his own, and a 9 who dictates our play. Our 9s outside of Hendrickse and Williams are appallingly bad. Those two are not exactly the best we've ever produced, but they are the most fundamentally sound. 

Web, good team. But I think you might have to drop 2 players to put in an additional hooker and scrum half. 

The centres, outside backs and loose forwards are the obvious ones. 

Is it a good idea to have Deon Fourie as a back up hooker \ open sider?

I’m also concerned that Orie will get on the plane given that his had so much game time. He is not there for rugby reasons

I predict this will be Rassies match 33.
This is not much different from the side I would choose, taking into consideration game time and form for the Boks. 
Kolisi and Pollard might not even be ready for the World Cup . 

15. Willie / Willemse (utility back on the bench)

14/11. Kolbe / Arendse
 Moodie /Mapimpi /        (Most of these wings can also play fullback if needed)

13. AM /Kriel

12. Esterhuizen/ Delande

10. Libbok/Pollard/   (Not sure Pollard will make it). 
9.  Williams /Faf /Hendrikse
8. Vermuelen/ Wiese
7. PSDT /Kwagga
6. Kolisi/Van Staden
4/5. Etzebeth  / RG Snyman / Klein / Lood
3 Malherbe / Thomas du Toit / Koch
2. Marx / Mbonambi
1 .OX/ Kitshoff / Nykane 

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My Starting team would be:

15. Willie
14/ Kolbe
13. AM 
12. Esterhuizen
10. Libbok

9.  Williams 
8. Vermuelen
7. PSDT 
6. Van Staden   
5 RG Snyman 
4. Etzebeth  
3 Thomas du Toit 
2. Marx 
1 Nykane (Some of the tight five have to be transformed)

Bench
Faff
Damien Willemse
Moodie  (Pollard if he recovers from injury)

Kitshoff (Might have to be OX for transformation)
Bongi
Thomas Dutoit
Klein
Wiese
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