No orth commening on sinc the whhle issue is garbled beyond believe/ Based on mantennc of their present performances continue - the backline in 2027 is likely be the following:-
15 Fassie
14 Arendse/Hooker.Hartzenberg
13 Moonie
12 De Allende
11 Kolbe
10 Feinberg-Mngome-Zulu
9 Hendrikse
Cooments by site eperts will not be considered by Erasmus - h will pick playe who is regarded as their best in their respective position by world rugby experts,
Willemse
After reurning from injury Willemse has not recovered his form yet and is likely to be candidate at inside center. Once he ix back in full form he certainly will be part of the Springbok squad
" and is likely to be candidate at inside center. " - so far he has mostly been used by Rassie as a Fullback or Flyhalf that was not so successful. Fullback is also the position where he has played his best Rugby for the Boks.
Yes he is versatile and can also cover the inside centre position, but Rassie has preferred him at 15. This might change with Fassi being there.
Has he actually started as inside centre for the Boks?? I am not sure, but he was used in 2018 once of the bench as inside centre?
Best future Bok backline options are
15. Fassi / Jordan Hendrikse
14. Arendse / Green
13. Julius / Moodie / Henco v Wyk
12. Willemse / Hooker / David Kriel
11. Moodie / Horn
10. Sacha / Libbok / Masuku
9. Hendrikse / Williams / vd Bergh
Ja, we have still a few more games left before we get to the next World Cup. We have a solid batch of 21 year olds that has already made an impact at test level. To think Hendrikse is 22, Moodie 21, Fineberg 21, Hooker 21. By the time the next World Cup roles in they would be between 24 and 26. They will still have a lot of pace and would have developed with volume of first class games and caps.
If I look at the current incumbents, I wonder who should be there. I'm not convinced of Willemse as a 12. I would almost move Fassie to wing and Willemse to full back. Arendse is 28, Kolbe is 31, Mpimpi is on his way out and Moodie is only 21 but looked rusty against the all blacks. I see Jake is now pushing him to become a 13.
So if I go by age and then figure out who to phase out
09 - Faff 33 | Williams 27 | Hendrikse 21 | Van Den berg 23
10 - Pollard 30 | Libbok 26 | Sasha 21 | Hendriks 21 |
11 - Mpimpi 33 | Arendse 28 | ?
12 - Dud 33 | Esterhuizen 30 | Hooker 21 | David Kriel 24
13 - Kriel 30 | Am 30 | Moodie 21 | Henco 24 | Julius 21
14 - Kolbe 31 | ? Fassi 25 | David Kriel 24
15 - Willie 35 | Fassi 25 | Willemse 25 | Hendrikse 21
We have a lot of utility players that can slot in anywhere, but I would prefer if they settled in one position and built some combinations and familiarity.
I’m very convinced with Willemse at 12 given we have Fassi at 15
Jurenzo Julius is 20 not 21
Fassi and Willemse are 26
Henco v Wyk is 23 not 24
This would be our best backline
15. Fassi 14. Moodie 13. Julius 12. Willemse 11. Arendse 10. Sacha 9. Hendrikse
21. Williams 22. Jordan Hendrikse 23. Hooker/David Kriel
KC
Your list is a bit weird since some indications are apparent already:\
* De Klerk has already been phased out - if you want a fourh name I suggest you add De Wet.
* Pollard is on his way to the coaching staff - he may be aroud the squad - but whether he will plsy in any matches in 2027 is doubtful A replacement name suggestion will be Chamberlain of the Bulls
* You can add another four names to he number 11 position and may still be wrong, The only fact is that Mapimpi will not be in the squad. There are too many youngsters coming through even at present.
* I may be wrong - but indications are that Etsrhuizen will be left out of future squads. So I suggest add Willemse to the no 12 list.
* I have a feeling that Am and Kriel will be phased out by 2026.
* Willie will play in at most 6 tests in future and then will be used to help with the development of yougsters - that is if he stops paying Rugby in Japan.
In all the backline players the final choices will be msade by Erasmus and Browne - so one can identify some certainties:
10 Shaca Feinberg-Mnogeme-Zulu
12 If the form of De Allende is maintained at his present level
15 Willemse or likely also be used at 12,
There is players I like a lot like Julius at 13.
As stated by Habana there are so many talented players coming through and there are already Under 20 playrs coming through it will be impossible to determine future propsects. S o a list based on perormaces until 31 December 2024 and by December 2025 update the list is my suggestion,
,
Kak Mike Faf has definitely not been phased out he has been out injured and will definitely be back given we still see the older Reinach being selected
Where did you suck that Esterhuizen will be out of future squads - you are speaking shit
Mike, the oldies needs to be faded out. Do we go with Saffex mix of medium and young. But we know that if Rassie pushes Willie, Fat, De Allende and Mpimpi into the next World Cup we will have a serious deficient team in that these vets are one injury away from retirement.
He used them this year to ensure a smooth transition. Both losses came at a 1 point loss. In theory, we should have beaten Ireland and Argentina, but Ireland definitely showed a lot of gust and faced up and even bettered the boks physicality. It was only Pollard that kept the boks in the game.
On one hand, I want all the youngsters to have a proper crack, but it is more like an under 23 team.
Ireland bettered the Boks physically - when was this exactly?
Fact is that change will have to happen more drastically in 2025 and 2026 season.
We don’t know the exact plan or who Rassie is banking on from the Older Core , to make the WC 27.
Up till now he has made some changes, but mostly played with that experienced core intact.
I hope to see new faces with EOYT squad, but I have a feeling it might be minimal.
He clearly feels that his best chance to win all remaining games, is with the experienced crew. To be honest when Rassie does bring someone in, it’s a guy like N J V Rensburg.
That makes no sense at all, especially because he was not invited to the alignment Camps.
So I think those other new guys that we all want in the Bok squad, will most probably only get a chance next year.
KC
It will only be fools who would replace evey Sprin gbok irresspective of their performances, performances. Performance and merit wil determie replacements. In the case of Willie - Erasmus has already announced that he will try and get Wille to achieve a 100 test appearances - hee implicationbe is about to be playing a new role in future.
Erasmus is not a fool - he is planning on a continuous basis how changes will be implmented based entirely on performances and how players function as part of the team. He weill not let the team down by picking underperformers "because he likes them".
Dave
Faf's recent performance was ot even on par wth the performaces of younger players. My reading of the situation remains. That is why Faf surviving into a new erais highly unlikely - the same can be said of players like Mostert. Neither Faf nor Mostert is not irreplaceable.
Now about Esterhuizen - first of all one has to bear in mind what experiences he S pringboks have in him a a player, In 2018 Esterhuizen was tried out in a number f tests and produce indifferent performances and in the end Erasmus did not select him for the 2019 RWC squad. When Jsse Kriel had to be replaced Erasmus still preferred Willemse as a replacement. In 2023 Esterhuizen was included in the squad - but only used in round robin games aganst minor teams,
Then came akong Browne and the whole review of backline players was undertaken and one of the players selected o see how he fits into a nrew playing style of the Springbok backline players were undertaken. Esterhuizen was given an opportunity to play in the enw environment and buggered up the oppotunity totaly, He was not used in the subsequent tests and it will indeed be surprising if he is selected for the EOY series in November. I think Browne would find him to be a square peck in a round hole when fitting him into the new Bok playing strategy/
Based on past experience Esterhuizen is pace-deficient and his defense always was suspect. In any event I think he will not be in he November squad and I may be wrong - but he is unlikely to be able to perform in the changed Springbok backline strategy, I may be wrong about my comments - but I think Browne will determine whether he is usable or not. So lets wait and see what happens in November,
, .
"Fact is that change will have to happen more drastically in 2025 and 2026 season."
Why?
Your take on Faf and Esterhuizen is nonsense
Like KC Said and I agree , some of the Older guys are one injury away from retirement .
So banking on some of the older core that is not performing , should be reconsidered. And surely some younger talent can step in.
That is why I say more change will come 25 or 26.
I agree Faf and Esterhuisen won’t just get kicked to the curb .
I am sure Rassie has spoken to each player and discussed there future and how long they will still play.
So it’s rather unlikely that any player will get dumped if not definitely needed.
Also nothing that Rassie has Said up till now, justifies thinking that FaF or AE, Are finished.
I'm with you Saffex.
"That is why I say more change will come 25 or 26."
That is true, and it's needed, but I don’t believe in drastic change just for the sake of it...we've got one of the best Bok teams ever...if we want to improve that team, it should be gradual, we don’t want to upset the balance
Mpower
"So banking on some of the older core that is not performing , should be reconsidered. And surely some younger talent can step in."
Who in your opinion is "not performing" and why are they not performing?
Mostert, Eben etc were all bloodied. Mostert leaving with a broken leg. Did you not see how many of our forwards had to be subbed early on?
Trevor, Mapimpi, Koch, Van Staden, Moerat, Willie can all play better. And how should I know why they not performing at there best ??
It’s highly unlikely that the same group of players are going to the WC in 2027. Some change is needed.
Mpower
Thank you and agreee with you about the above players, But what is interesting we all know ix that Erasmus ssaid he wants to see Le Roux playing in a 100 matches for the Springboks and he has now played 96 matches, So at maximum 4 more tests are to be expected from Le Roux next year.
The other issue is that Erasmus is grooming players to become coaches, Vermeulen is already in the coaching set-up and Kolisi is going the same way and so are Pollard and Le Roux.
Another issue is that older playes get injured more frequently and take longer to recover from injuries. Meyer played ping pong with Pollard after his initial test against the AB's in 2014/ Until the 2015 RWC and in particular the Japan disaster - whereafter he played kickig rugby for the Springboks until the end of the 2015 RWC/
Afte the appointment of Coetzee Pollard was out of the Springboks in tests in 2016 and 2017 - Pollard became a player Erasmus favoredand bcame a key player of the Erasmus's leadership group in yhe team. SA played no tests in 2020 - played in tests regularly intil the end of 2022 when Pollard suffered a serious injury, He was out of rugby for about 6 months and Easmus could not even nominate hum to be included in the 2023 RWC squad,
Pollard suffered serious injuries during his playing career and was absent for long period from playing test rugby. That is perhaos why in a discussion about a year ago - Eramus said Pollard's career management was essential to keep him going to 2026. That is why I doubt Pollard making it through to 2027. If Erasmus did not mention 2026 - I would have been less certain about the Pollard issue,
We will have to wait and see how and actually when Rassie will start to manage these players, like Pollard , Eben, PSDT etc. with the amount of playing time.
And yes I think he is planning on giving Le roux his 100 caps. Each player will most probably know what role they will play in the future.
Ja, you could have a pack where 6 out of 8 players are over 35. Doesn't bode well if you have to do a 6 match campaign. The new format will mean that there will be an additional round of knock-outs. They are now introducing top 16 knock outs, So the boks will have to win 4 times in a row.
Will these old guys have the stamina to play these games in a row. Probably not.
Hard choices needs to be made. Either have Dud at 36 or Esterhuizen at 33. Willemse at 29 if he plays 12. Kolbe at 35 will be a push.
I do think we have the backline that we can grow over the next 3 years. Rassie has been playing with the wings, 9's, 10s and Full back this season. I would like to see him mix the midfield up a bit and give guys like Hooker and Julius a crack.
I just wish the Saarks would pick them for a run in the midfield to see how well they can develop.
Then there is Moodie and Kriel who will be the bulls midfield combo going forward. So plenty to play with there. All these players are tall and have great pace, skill and physicality. Julius being on the shorter side but also more of a block like the old NZ players build. Low centre of gravity with ball in both hands
Um helloooo Julius has just started every URC match this season along with most of the CC games
2,905 posts
Well, Dud still seems to be tracktoring on and at present form, playing in Japan, may extend his longevity and we may end up having a 37 year old at the world cup in the midfield. We know how much Rassie loves the old toppies. Had Frans Steyn not picked up and injury, he probably would have played in the world cup.
I think we are in a golden era of youngsters, not sure because we also boast the most formidable pack of forwards. The Lions has come to life this season and it final looks like the Saarks have found ways to win, even if they play poorly.
Sharks. They the Hendrikse brothers, Fassi, Jurenzo Julius and Ethan Hooker. I don't know why plumbers haven't started to play them in their proper positions.
9 Hendrikse, 10 Hendrikse, 12 Hooker, 13 Julius, Fassi.
Then they still have Am, Masuka, Williams and Esterhuizen who are probably our starters for now.
Bools, they have Moodie and Kriel who are probably their best backs
Lions have Quorn Horn, Nohamba, van Der berg, Henco Van Wyk and van DER Merwe.
Stormers has Fineberg, Suliman Hartzenberg, Jurie Mathee.
All these guys except for a few are under 25. I know there is time, but we have so much talent and skill.
Hope we can build some combinations at the URC teams.
I rate Hooker highly and should be our next 10. Kriel, Moodie could move to the wings with Fassi coming from the back.
My future bok back line would be
9 Hendrikse / van Der berg
10 Sasha / Hendrikse
11 Moodie
12 Hooker
13 Jurenzo / Van Wyk
14 Kriel
15 Fassi