Who would you pick for the Wales test from these 35 players?

Bok 35-man training squad:
Forwards: Phepsi Buthelezi, Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Bongi Mbonambi, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Ox Nche (all Sharks), Joseph Dweba, Ben-Jason Dixon, Neethling Fouche, Frans Malherbe, Salmaan Moerat, Evan Roos, Andre-Hugo Venter (all Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Verblitz), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Kwagga Smith (Blu Revs), Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers).

Backs: Jordan Hendrikse, Quan Horn, Morne van den Berg, Edwill van der Merwe (all Lions), Aphelele Fassi, Ethan Hooker, Makazole Mapimpi, Siya Masuku, Grant Williams (all Sharks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Manie Libbok (both Stormers), Damian de Allende (Panasonic Wild Knights), Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles), Andre Esterhuizen (Harlequins), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers).

Actually not a bad crop of players but don’t see Am in this squad. Is he injured or out of form?

We’re going to be light on wingers now that Arendse and Moodie are both injured, but we have Fassi, Kolbe and Mpimpi. Hooker has some serious gas. No Nohamba either, but for me he is way to small. 

Should Rassie risk it and go all youth for this one?

9. Berg

10. Masuka

11. Edwill

12 Fineberg

13 Hooker

14 Fassi

15 Horn

Some positions are weak and that include the locks - we have locks ten times better than Mostert and I think that Goosen yesterday proved he should also be included in the squad - while Mapimpi has beame a defense disaster and is not even remotely the player he was in 2019 - at 33 years of age he is past it and should be in no quad at all.     Esterhuizen at center is also a no-no.    He always was a fringe player and when tried at starting center always flopped in both defense and attack.  

For the Wales test the only playes that will be available are players playing  in SA - no players for clubs outside of SA will be available,   The same applies to the Portugal test.   So who would be in the team will exclude all foreign club players.   The only tests falling in the international test window will be the Irish tests - falling in the test window period in July and in th e RC tests against Argentina, Australia and the All Blacks.   The only other period applicable is when the European tes window in February and March 2025.   In that period if SA play in any ess the SA players playing in foreign clubs will ahve to eb released by the clubs.  

So there could eb major changes in the Wales and Portugese tests and I would not even try and get a team together from the list of 35 players supplied by you - th ere are oter that may be seleced being not on your list of players.   

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Dave

You are right about the Japanese Clubs and I was wrong - the rugby season of Japaan Rugby ends in May and restarts in Auguist - so the Japan players should be available.  In esense I agree with the team you selected.

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I hope Rassie don't pick a whole bunch of Rookies like he did in the past and we end up losing to Wales by one point. 

I want the fittest and strongest team. I would almost go with Dud and Kriel in the Midfield. 

Fassie, Kolbe and Edwill as my back 3. 

Pack go with Ox, Bongi, Koch, Malherbe and Mchunu. 

Etzebeth and Mostert as locks 

Kwagga, PSTD and maybe Pepsi if Roos is not Fit. 

I'll put all the youngsters on the bench. 

Marx need game time but do you start with him or or do you wait until the Portugal game. 

We need to move on from Bongo now

What’s the point of playing our WC team against Wales ….as if to win the game. And then play Libbok at 10, who has just proved he has a problem with pressure.

To me we should play the WC team with a few of the most promising youngsters, at most 4. My candidates would be Fassi, Wilco, van Heerden, Roos.

You don’t really believe that Dave, you are locked into your narrative.

Here is my pick then. I will start with a core of experience players and then sprinkle in the rookies

1. Ox / Mchunu
2. Marx / Hugo Venter 
3. Koch / Fouche 
4. Etzebeth 
5. Mostert / Moerat
6. Kwagga
7. Pieter Steph / Pepsi 
8. Roos
9. Faf / Williams 
10. Masuka / Fineberg 
11. Edwill 
12. De Allende / Hooker 
13. Kriel 
14. Kolbe 
15. Fassie