WC 2023 squad dilemma

Dave

I did a calculation of who were  over 29 years of age and their were a total of about 10 players ion that category,  Of those  there were 4 that already retired from international rugby -  Beast, Louw. Steyn and obviously Brits.   Of the rest Vermeulen said he will retire after the Lions tour, 

Of the rest 2 are Reinach and Mostert - hardly better than bench players and unlikely to feature in tests in future.  The other is Willie who already shows signs of decline in performance - so he is likely to be phased out too,   and then there is Jantjioes and Mapimpi is also in tht category,  

So who will have to be replaced based on present info  available:=

1  Full back

1  Wing                   :    Nkosi?     

1  Allrounder          -    Willemse

1  Flyhalf                

1  Scrummie

1  No  8                    -    Augustus

1  Lock                     -    Schickerling

2  Props                     -    Schoeman

1  Lock                     -     Schiokerling

1  Loosie

I think that Erasmus  ia likely going  to look at Jesse Kriel as a fullback.

However - even though age is always a concern -  the overriding issue remains performance, and some over 30 players are likely to remain meeting top class performance requirements.  Not too worried about the situation at present, .     

1  Lock                     -    Schickerling

2  Props                     -    Schoeman

1  Lock                     -     Schiokerling

Is Schiokerling in any way related to Schickerling, or is a split personality that can cover 4 and 5? 

Schoeman must be good to be able to play in two positions at the same time. He can be on the bench and play at the same time....

Those that could and won't make the world cup 2023 include.
(Barring injuries that overcome form).

Kitshoff- Fine. He will make it

Mbonambi - maybe. 

Marx - Yes he will make it

Malherbe - if he can manage his diet he could make it. Although having 2 props in the '30s might not be great- especially if one of them eats too much. 

 Nyakane- as with Malherbe

Koch - No. He will not make it

 Etzebeth - Maybe. However by he will be over 100 tests, and injuries make take effect more old age. 

Lood- He will probably make it. He has not played that much given long injury layoffs.

Mostert - No

PSDT - Yes if he does not get too injured before then 
 Louw -  (Francios Louw? He has retired)

Kolisi-  I doubt it

Vermeulen- no too old. He already has to use sellotape to keep his ears attached to his body. 

Faf- Maybe

Reinach- No

Pollard-  Yes

Jantjies - Probably not

de Allende- Maybe

 Kriel,- No.

Am - Maybe

Kolbe - Yes

 Mapimpi - No

Willie - No

Duds in 2023 ......no prank can last that long.

Noone has taken into consideration how these players maintain conditioning. Look after yourself and you prolong your career. Mapimpi is a fantastic physical specimen and by far our best wing. Willie could make it; we don't have an alternative, even if the clunky, ponderous José model doesn't utilize him to his potential. 

Bosch at 10, at test level, will never work. His best figures are at 15 where he is the most effective ball carrier at Super rugby level in SA. Willemse doesn't have the software for test rugby. It was apparent from the beginning. 

Dud1 and Dud2? Why not? They've persisted long enough. 

"I think that Erasmus  ia likely going  to look at Jesse Kriel as a fullback."

Always a laugh to see Lügnerin talk as though he and José are good old, like-minded chums 

Willie lost a lot of ability during the Meyer debacle period and was never the same as he used to be when he hit the scene and replace Kirchner in the SA side.   Even Pollard and De Allende suffered badly when Meyer was coach and there was a huge difference between what Pollard was allowed to do and how he was used compared to his performances in 2019, when he was allowed to play his best games,

However, Willie was a bot of a disappointment in 2019 - hos passing game was poor and he lost a lot in his pace  - so he will not make the grade by 2023.    He did bugger up badly in the Welsh game when he knocked on a ball with an open tryline in front of him and when he had three players next to him - with only two defenders ahead of them and instead of passing he spilled the ball in a tackler by the English loosie.   Much better was expected from him.   

However, Meyer nearly destroyed natural skills in players and some of them  never recovered from his disastrous coaching or rather lack of coaching abi lity, ,         

Mike

I've never mentioned this in the past. Happened to stay at the same hotel as the Boks and bumped into Meyer twice while staying there, the second time was in the hotel lift. His eyes told a story of someone who was a nervous wreck, I kid you not it was as if they were going to pop. The strain in his face and the pressure in his panic stricken eyes is something I'll never forget.

And that was before the game against Scotland, a pool game ....I felt awfully sorry for him, geeez anyone would.

Meyer has a higher winning percentage and developed the Boks much further. Aside from a couple of key results, the current tenure has been a bit of a flop, and against the weakest and most vulnerable SH competition yet. A 2018 that was worse than the 2017 that got Coetzee sacked and a 2019 bolstered by the final and a very fortuitous SF against a heavily depleted Welsh side. What else? Lister, you are a very funny man. Please, never changed. It keeps me coming back. 

Lets stop writing of players that are around 29 or 30. Players are far better managed and conditioned these days. Look at Vermeulen, 34 and still going strong. Outlasted Kolisi that was 27 and couldn't get past 50 min on the field. 

Yeah, I was looking at the squad too, but there is no guarantee that any of these player will have form or be around. 

That said, I would be happy if we can. get at least 10 of the 23 that were in the final to be in the squad. 

We have 3 years to blood some fringe players. Rassie managed to turn it around within in 18 months after the Poepce disaster.  

We will have to Face either France or NZ in the Quarters, so we really have to start beating the AB on regular basis as well as France. 

Gelant has been the form Fullback, I like the look of Fassi and probably our future 15. He is our version of Isreal Falou who I think has been the best 15 over the last couple of years. 

I think Willemse will end up being our Utility player. He can play pretty much all positions in the backline. 

Then we have Bosch who is only 23 and can also play 10 and 15

Ja, I have to agree with you Saffex, but it is not a bad core to have around. 

What about Jantjes as our 9?