Who should stay and who should go to the World Cup?

Just looking at the current makeup of the World Cup team, it is pretty obvious that most of these players were fast asleep. However, I don't always think you should discount a player of age but this a physical sport and your body does take long to recover. Most of the team is past 30, so we will end up with a massive vacuum if we don't act now. 

I would definitely only allow certain players if I know that they'll make the next World Cup or get us past the next two year. But I would prefer for my starting team to be between 26 and 29, 30 max. I would opt for younger players in the team to give energy and help the next crop. 

We can't keep sticking with Mpimpi or Bongi, both have been terrible out of form and are over 30. Kolbe is pushing 30 now and not sure how long he will perform at this level now that he is going to Japan. Might get him to 34, but will he make the next World Cup? 

So here is my picks. 

1. Kittshoff 31, Ox 27, Gerhard Steenkamp 26 
2. Marx 29, Dwebe 27, Grobler 25
3. Thomas Du Toit 28, Wilco Louw 28,
4. Etzebeth 31, Kleyn 29, Moerat 25
5. RG Snyman 28, Nortje 
6. Kolisi 32, Van Staden 27, Pepsi Bhutelezi 24 (Thin at openside, but Kwaga 30 is passed it)
7. PSDT 30, Jean Luc 27, Dyamani 25
8. Roos 23, Dan Du Preez 27, Wiese 27
9. Faf 31, Williams 27, Hendrikse 23 - (No need for Reinach 33 or Jantjies 27, there is Zack burger 24 too)
10. Pollard 29, Libbok 26, Robert Du Preez 29 (Flyhalfs get better with age, Sexton is 38!!! Like Sacha Finebert, 21)
11. Arendse 27
12. Esterhuizen 29, Willemse 25, De Allende 31
13. Am 29, Kriel 29, Rikus Pretorius 24 (Kriel because we are light at 13, but Rikus should come back to SA)
14. Kolbe 29, Moodie 20
15. Le Roux 33, Galant 28 (Bit light at full back, Willemse is the stormers go to, we have galant)

There's too much dead wood in that team. 

So on one hand, we have some fantastic 9's coming through and I have to credit Rassie and Nienaber for spotting Williams. I wasn't a fan of him and couldn't understand how he made the boks training team back in 2021. 

We have no need for Reinach now. So the big problem is, do you go with Reinach or do you give Williams a crack. Both him and Hendrikse are completely different players and could complement each other really well in terms of the match day itself. 

I'm a bit worried at tight head and our lock stocks. Nortje is there only because he has potential and can be useful if he bulks up. 

Moerat, I'm still not convince but he has potential. 

I'm looking for the next Etzebeth / Bakkies Botha. 

No real contender for 13, Henco van Wye got a sniff, but was out all season. 

15 worries me a lot too. Galant is nearly 29, still rate him. Fassi can be amazing, but he needs to sort out his tackling. 

So I'm wondering if it should be Moodie only 20 and can have a long career at 15. 

Just hope Rikus can find his way back to the Stormers

Moodie at 13 and Similane. Wow. Similane was exposed in 2019 for being a pretender and now Moodie at 13. Of course, the answer to everything seems to become fatter. What a coach you'd be Saddex! 

Habana played scrumhalf at school, so what's your point? Not a test 13. Similane is not Bok material. Get a grip you pompous old gi mmer. 

It is a bit of stretch brining in players now that haven't been part of the international scene. There are a lot of potential. Dan Du Plesis was the best 12 in the URC and the highest rank player overall but he won't get a sniff of the bok jumper. He is already 29 and probably not a person I would have had in mind. 

I'm looking for players that could potential help us with the world cup but also make sure that we have the next generation ready. 

Of the current squad, looking at their ages. There will be way too many players over 30. The average age of the bok team is probably 32. Thanks do Duanne and Fourie pushing that number up. Trev, Bongi are no spring chickens. Dud is pushing 32 already. 

Moodie, Libbok, Wilemse, Williams and Roos are our only young guns. By the way 27 is not that young. 

So we need a decent number of player under 25, between 25 and 29 and then the remainder of the squad should be less than 20%. 

29 is two years off full physical maturity. You don't discard these players, and you don't fill a team of nobodies because they are young with an eye on several years down the line. There needs to be continuity and progression. A blend. Erasputin did what Snor did: rely heavily on a number of payers and then leave the team without any development. Now we need to have a bumpy transition again like under the first year of Meyer. 

Names of SA rugby players who must go to the world cup: