This article was written before this weekends matches by Liam del Carme.

With the gap between form players and his likely World Cup picks widening by the week, Bok coach Peter de Villiers, perhaps understandably, has resorted to cliche. A few of the players mentioned here already started their return to form. Funny how one week later you can see such a big difference.

We’ve all heard the one about form being temporary and class being permanent, but a look at the individual positions lays bare the coach’s predicament.

None of the fullbacks in Super Rugby, bar perhaps Gio Aplon, have impressed sufficiently to unseat Racing Metro’s Frans Steyn as the coach’s choice.

Bryan Habana has become the poster boy for those whose form has deserted them. Thankfully, JP Pietersen appears to be regaining his magic, while the spring-heeled Bjorn Basson is making a compelling case to leapfrog Habana.

Midfield is the only area where things have gone to script for the selectors, with Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie remaining the clear favourites to continue their partnership.

The clamour down south for Peter Grant’s inclusion is deafening. Thankfully the robust flyhalf has advanced his own cause on the field. Morne Steyn’s boot, however, makes him difficult to omit in a tournament notoriously decided by small margins.

Fourie du Preez may be well short of his best, but his participation at the World Cup is non-negotiable. Francois Hougaard will probably be his understudy but the Cheetahs’ Sarel Pretorius has enhanced his reputation, while the coach’s position on Ulster’s Ruan Pienaar is opaque.

It is among the forwards that the dearth of Bok form is most worrying.

If Juan Smith does not recover from injury in time, Willem Alberts has emerged as a viable alternative after some rampaging performances this season.

Duane Vermeulen has been the form No8, while Ashley Johnson, although prone to error, is attuned to a game unshackled by structure.

But World Cups are won within the strict confines of a well-structured game plan.

The Schalk Burger versus Heinrich Brussouw debate will again rage, but the latter has yet to fully prove his efficacy under the tweaked rules at the tackle.

Andries Bekker and Rynhard Elstadt have been the standout locks. While the Boks could probably do without Bakkies Botha, going to the World Cup without Victor Matfield is simply too ghastly to contemplate.

It is the composition of the Bok front row that could decide the Boks’ fortunes. John Smit is one of, if not the best Bok captain yet, but Bismarck du Plessis is the game’s pre-eminent hooker. Smit can be considered at loosehead but Coenie Oosthuizen and Tendai Mtawarira can argue they’ve done more this season. The injured Gurthro Steenkamp will also come into the reckoning.

CJ van der Linde and Jannie du Plessis are the foremost tightheads, while Ulster’s BJ Botha remains an option.

SUPER RUGBY FORM TEAM(remember this was written Last week)

(Players likely to be in the starting team in brackets).

15-Gio Aplon (Frans Steyn); 14-Gerhard van den Heever (JP Pietersen), 13-Jaque Fourie, 12-Jean de Villiers, 11-Bjorn Basson (Bryan Habana); 10-Peter Grant (Morne Steyn), 9-Sarel Pretorius (Fourie du Preez); 8-Duane Vermeulen (Pierre Spies), 7-Willem Alberts (Juan Smith), 6-Francois Louw (Schalk Burger); 5-Andries Bekker (Victor Matfield), 4-Rynhard Elstadt (Bakkies Botha); 3-Jannie du Plessis (CJ van der Linde), 2-Bismarck du Plessis (John Smit), 1-Coenie Oosthuizen (Gurthro Steenkamp). Substitutes: Adriaan Strauss, Tendai Mtawarira, Flip van der Merwe, Ryan Kankowski; Francois Hougaard, Pat Lambie, JP Pietersen.

After the Storming win of the Stormers and the flickering hope of the Bulls there might be a few brackets taken out in the team above.