Who would be the spine of your 2027 World Cup team?

I think this probably would be the last season that we see the double World Cup winners feature. We have so many players well into their 30s, but we know Rassie likes the silver backs but looking at how much the team laboured in the last World Cup, I think if the players were 4 years younger with the experience it would have been a completely and more convincing World Cup. 

So, here is my spine for the World Cup. I'm not looking for an entire team, but players that can make it to the next World Cup and that can add value 

1. Ox 29
2. Marx 30
3. - 
4. Etzebeth 32
5. - 
6. -
7. PSDT 31
8. Wiese 28
9. -
10. Pollard 30
11. Arendse 27
12. Esterhuizen 29
13. Am 29
14. Kolbe 30 (Might be to old and may lose pace) 
15. Willemse 26 

KC

I have a problem with this type of  selection - especially with  players over 30 years of age astheir contued playing f players already ove .0 and above.  a layer at 29 - like Esterhuizen is a defintie no-no.   He is even at this stage a fringe player and not really the best in SA by a distance.

My core players are -

12    Willemse

10   Feinberg-Ngomezulu.

8     Nortje/Dixon

I would hope that players like Marx and Etzebeth makes it through to 2027.   

There is no spine.Take Dave’s very optimistic list. 

Steenkamp

Hanekom

Williams 

Sacha( Libbok is a loser)

Willemse 

Arendse

Fassi

Those are the only players likely to be contenders. The rest are already in decline, too fragile or not test standard. And even among those, most haven’t even proven their test match credentials.

We have to almost totally rebuild the pack and the backline isn’t  in view yet either. This will not be accomplished in 4 years. We will likely have a young, promising team in 2027, with the payoff in 2031, if there is a payoff.

Dave speaking of spines, you are the coccyx of analysts…closest to a  poephol.

Consider the opposition….there’s a good coccyx.

Would like to see a half back partnership formed between Grant Williams and Sacha leading into the next WC and for a bit of icing on the cake I'd like Moodie at 13 as well. Not sure why the Ozzies don't import a bit of Afrikaner DNA to bolster their pack I'm sure there's plenty of fringe players who won't make the Bok cut.

I noticed him being tossed into touch by the wee wing. 

I did not see that it took 2 players to tackling him - neither did i see him scoring a try - Mozart's ve rsion of the game.      

Of the older forwards the three world class are players are Marx, Etzebeth and Du Toit.

It's possible these three are irreplaceable. Given the age of Deon Fourie who had a super Workd cup these three should be managed very carefully. With the right management, training, diet etc they could make it to the next RWC. consider Novak Djokovic as an athlete. 

We should be able to find the extra backs needed.

In the meantime let's keep on winning.