Very few positions locked up for RWC 15

The Boks had a very settled team in 2013, but there are very few certainties for 2015. Habana, JP, Jean, Fury and F du Preez may make it. But they could also hit a wall.

Likewise Jannie.

That leaves us with Willie, Morne and  the rest of the pack as assured candidates. But face it Morne is an imperfect weapon, and only the Beast, Etzebeth  and Vermeulen are clear choices.

Mostly though it's the turnover of the backline that could be tricky. Apart from Willie none of newbies have been convincing. Face it Jean and Habana are in a different class to the likes of JJ and Serfontein. We have no new international class wings either. 

So the RWC is likely to be a delicate dance extending the careers of old greats past their best. For HM the RWC may come a year too late. The ABs have the same issue, but they have more qualified replacements at this point.

 Mozart

In essence I agree with you there are problems in team selection that could and should be sorted out this year and I also agree there are players that is unlikely to make it through to next year - but  am not entirely pessimistic about alternatives.   That is why we should actually la candidates under the microscope this year in Super 15 and adjust the situation accordingly.

You obviously are negative about some of the positions - but I think that the following would have to be considered:-

Full Back 

No real train smash here.   Le Roux is the no 1 candidate - but back up can come from either Francois Steyn (although likely to be too slow),  SP Marais and Taute.   To be candidates next year the above should put up their hands in Super 15 this year.   I think the key player to watch in this case is SP Marais of the Sharks.

Wings

More of a problem here.   I think Habana will make it through to the WC and hope he is not injured.   He seems to be injury prone as he gets older.   JP is also a problem case -  he always was a slower type of wing, but a very strong ball carrier.   NH conditions would help him - so lets accept he is the other wing.   The back up is problematic.   That is why I think that JJ should play wing as a back up measure.   All our other wings have problems -  but I hope that the ne player we have to watch out for is Duhan van der Merwe.   He is very young though and we will see how h e manages at Under 20 this year.  

Centers

We must hope that Jean makes it through to the WC - he is special and probably  the top center in world rugby at present.   Careful management is a priority in his case.   The situation is not good - but I think that Serfontein, De Allende and Jordaan may be the pick of the rest.

Flyhalfs

There really is a problem here.   Morne is very poor and he is now the back up flyhalf for Stade Francais.   The only real propositions are Goosen, Lambie and Swiel.  I think the latter will surprise us all and end up as the flyhalf of 2015.

Scrumhalfs    

Personally I have doubts as to Du Preez making it through to 2015 and there are no real candidates in place as yet.   Hope the Super series provides clarity in this regard.

Loosies 

Vermeulen and Louw remain the key selections.  Backup can come from Botha, Labuchagne and Elstadt.   Players to watch this year are Coetzee and Fourie as well - since they can be back up opensiders as well.   No real problems in this cae.

Locks

No problem here - we have Etrzebeht and Du Toit - plus Flip and most of our other locks are on par or better than what the other countries can produce.

Props

No problem here  - we have Malherbe and Oosthuizen who have proven themselves during the EOYT and will be good enough to fill Jannie's shoes and we have a host of other props to back those up.   No real problems here.

Hookers

No problems here

I do not agree with you about the WC being a year to late.   If we go in with our present crop of players we are likely to not make the grade.   There are too many passengers at present in the team and they should be rooted out soonest.

Mozart

The problem in our case is that we need to blood the new players this year - an d really whether they will succeed or not.   It is not percentage that will determine whether they will succeed or not - it  is performances.   

Lets get to percentages.   The only new player that was given real playing opportunities last year was Le Roux and nobody can say he did not succeed.   Those given a very few opportunities - like Malherbe - also succeeded.    

Who is to say that the other players - who were better in Super 15 last year than some of the present incumbents - would not succeed if given the opportunity to play.

I do not rate players on hype and reputation.   If you look at the players who let the Springboks down against the AB's this year you find the worst cases were experienced players like Morne Steyn, Alberts and Kruger.   The latter was so bad - he played himself out of contention  for future selection.   Morne Steyn is not even the starting flyhalf for his new club.   Alberts is a player that has huge hype - but in fact produces nothing much and cannot play for more than 40 minutes before he runs out of steam completely.  In the tests he played in he was obvious about 4 or 5 times when he carried balls - but tackled by the first defender he ran into.  Over the last two years he actually only beat one defender - and he is normally brought down within 2 meters from where he received balls.   He also missed way too many tackles.   He is high on my list for urgent replacement.

I really am not as pessimistic as you are about younger players - I am more pessimistic about the 2011 crop that played in that WC and did not perform then - the question remains - if they failed then, what will make them successful in 2015?          

 Sasue

You are correct about Meyer and his usage of players  - every time he thinks the team can or need to be strengthened 0 he runs back to the players he coached ten years ago ir those he is "familiar" with  - irrespective of whether they actually produce the goods. 

He would pick players that cannot make the starting line ups for their foreign clubs as if they are good enough to represent the Springboks and after games glorify them as if they produced the goods after they have produced nothing of substance.   It makes me very uneasy about the future development of rugby in SA. .    . 

For me, the following positions are dead certs for 2015.

Willie on the wing or at fullback

JP on the wing

JJ at 13

Bismark at 2

Etzebeth at lock

Strauss as the bench hooker

For the rest there is a choice and some certainties seeking confirmation this year.

12 should be between Serfontein and Frans - it should be Serfontein

10 between Goosen and Lambie - it should be Goosen

Prop is open with a few candidates vying for honours - Beast, Coenie, Kitshoff, Malherbe, v/d Merwe and Nkanyane

The loosies spots are open as well. Vermeulen being the closest to cementing a spot, but not convincingly for there are better options out there in the likes of CJ Stander and Arno Botha.

9 is open unless Hougaard rediscovers his mojo this year in which case he will walk it.

The other lock position should be Steph du Toit's - he will confirm that this year.

The other wing spot is open, by 2015 Habana will be too old - wing is a young man's game.