Super 15 is hard tournament and players get injured often. It also separates the men from the boys - so lets look at what is about to happen next year.
The following are the local "geriatrics" already in Super 15 teams:-
Jean de Villiers
Willem Alberts
Victor Matfield
Jannie du Plesis
The following are rumoured to be potentially playing some Super 15 rugby - Meyer will probably insist on it - since the players will have minimal game time before the July test series:-
Jacque Fourie
Fourie du Preez
The following are unlikely to eb in future Springbok squads:-
Morne Steyn
Bakkies Botha
Gurthro Steenkamp
So lets look at the Super 15 players and what to expect from them:-
Jean de Villiers
Jean did not perform wel in Supper 15 this year and was plagued by minor injuries, before suffering a serious injury at the end of May. He was out oif rugby for the Jube test series and came beack in the RC.
In games played this year he was not really the player he was last year - there was a serious decline in his performances this year.
It will be interesting to see whether he can get back his performance level of last year in both Super 15 and tests. My guess uit is unlikely to happen and that is going to be aserious challenge on his part.
Willem Alberts
He did play in Super 15 up to end May this year and since then had no rugby at all.
When he did p[lay he was at 7 or at lock in games.
Always a low work rate player with a serious speed deficiency - his famous ball carries has dwindled to bnear to zero - he never gained meters in ball carries and was brought down with ease. His strong tackles has dwindled to zero and he missed more tackles than acceptable.
I really cannot see how he can make a come-back into the Springbok team - there are too many alternatives to watch out for. In this case we have Arno Botha, Lappies Labuschagne, Schalk Burger and a few others who can oust him with ease from the blindside spot.
Victor Matfield
Matfield has been in this years Super 15 squad and he will be in next years Bulls squad. He will be in an unenviable position in that squad.
The Bulls have generally a strong squad - but they have problems with their props. They have Matfield, Flippie and Hatting as locks and may be tempted to play Jaques du Plessis in that position as well - since they are particularly well off insofar as loosies are concerned.
Matfield was extreme;ly one-doimensional this year - his fame was measured by line-out takes and tackling stats. The tackling was easilyexplained - he was loitering around in the bakline and amde virtually no contribution in Tight 5 play. My guess is that would not change.
The question remains - will he have the stamina to last through the Super 15 season with 16 matches to play and minimal breaks in between matches?
Jannie du Plessis
At times this year in both Super 15 and the test series Jannie was extremely poor in scrumming - at other times barely average. He is the only player in Super 15 with more than 50 games in that competition that has never scored a try for his franchise.
Problem with jannie is his lack of contribution outside of scrumming - he missed an outrageous number of tackles in all formats of the game. he willbe severely tested in Super 15 next year and it will eb interesting to see whether he will makethe grade in that competition.
Jacque Fourie
Fourie had no rugby since March-April this year and he will have minimal rugby in Japan during the latter part of their 2014-15 series. When he was brought into the Springbok team he -
* defended well; but
* failed badly in any form of attacking play.
The problem is that he lot pace badly and that remains a serious rpoblem in his case. It is rumoured that he would after the Japanese season play for the Sharks. That would indeed rperesent the Sgharks and in essence Fourie too with a serious problem on Super 15 level. As stated Fourie has lost pace, but what about theother backline players. He will be joined in the abckline by two other players with serious pace deficiencies - Francois Steyn and JP Pietersen.
In Super 15 a paceless backline equates to a dead backline and there is likely to be serious holes in defensse in that backline as well. He has a chance to protect his image by staying away from Syper 15 - but will he?
Fourie du Preez
Fourie du Preez has a massive reputation - but he has had virtually no rugby since March April this year - only appearing briefly in the one game in Jube - where he was injured. He will have abpout 7 games in Japan in 2015 before the July test series and that may present a chance to him to play in the latter part of Super 15 next year.
When he came back in the Springbok fold last year he was on the bench for the
Argentina test in Soweto where the Springboks ran riot and then played in the home tests of the Rugby Championships. Coming from the ebnch he showed serious signs of a good player - but hin the home tests in the Championship against the Aussies and the AB's he was rayther invisible and did virtually nothing of consequence. In the June gme against the so-called World team he was better - but injured early.
It would be interes ting to see whether agfter the Japanese season he comes back to play in Super 15. Would perhaps not be despite his lack of game time since March-April this year - he may be exposed as being ineffective at present if he does.
Bakkies Botha, Gurthro Steenkamp, Morne Steyn
We may all be surprised - the above could hae some hold on Meyer - but I think it will be lunacy to ahve them in the WC squad - they are useless and there are too many oters that are better than them.
