At the end of this year’s Tri-Nations the Springbok management will have to stand objectively and clinically look at the difference between blind loyalty and blind faith as opposed to reward in selecting the best Bokke to lead them into next year’s Rugby World Cup.

This is not their only poser, they have to decide whether Assistant Staff has the ability and afinity to take it competently from here as well as how to adapt or fine-tune game plans for the World Cup.

Today I look at player selection only, the game plan strategies and coaching staff will have to wait for another time.

Somewhere the line has to be drawn between continuing along the path with players AND their form on the field. A year out from the Rugby World Cup is already a bit late in the day and I am one who rues the chances not taken during the June Test window for bringing in some new faces and rejuvenating Bokke player ranks.

If we’re brutally honest, some Springbok players have disapointed us this season… John Smit, Bakkies Botha, Pierre Spies, Ricky Januarie, Bryan Habana, Wynand Olivier… to name just some of the the old stalwart names, which immediately springs to mind.

My questions are simple:

How long must players keep knocking on the door for inclusion?
How long can we persist with players who cannot effect the game plan envisaged?
How long can we afford to carry players who cannot give us more than 50% possession or players who cannot make their first time tackles?

Under the Laws as they currently stand and as they are interpreted, the attacking team is favoured, the team with possession is favoured, making it imperative for the Bokke to have more possession of the ball and giving less senseless possession away.

This immediately impacts on 2 specific areas of play, the battle of the breakdown and defensive competence. These two areas are non-negotiable areas where the Springboks need to sharpen up dramatically if there is to be a hope of winning and retaining the World Cup crown.

With this in mind, the backrow forward dynamics, or loosies as we call them, needs to be addressed first and foremost, not only regarding exactly who they are but more importantly how they approach their respective tasks. Having endured the unfortunate injuries to Heinrich Brüssow as well as Juan Smith’s untimely injury and personal family loss, has been a huge stumbling block and has hampered the Bokke, there is no doubt in my mind about that. Add to that a No 8 who shuns from the hard graft and who misses critical tackles, no wonder the Springboks have had a very disapointing Tri-Nations campaign in 2010.

The second aspect to be addressed is the hooker berth and captaincy. Can we afford a hooker and captain who misses his jumpers in the lineouts with regularity (at present) or who is defensively less than solid in the tackle area…. OR… do we go for someone who ticks these boxes and move the capatincy to someone like Juan Smith? My preferance lies in the latter, there will be those of you who disagree with me.

The third aspect is replacement or “early retirement” of Springboks who just do not add enough constructive value anymore… players like Bakkies Botha, Bryan Habana, Pierre Spies, Ricky Januarie and Wynand Olivier. Do we have replacements for them, players who are curretly better and who offers more for the future? The answer is an undoubted YES… Flip van der Merwe, Lwazi Mvovo, Duane Vermeulen or Willem Alberts, Francois Hougaard and of course Juan de Jongh.

Where we have limited depth in certain positions, like TIGHT HEAD PROP, training and skills in those areas of expertise  has to be spot-on for those in the saddle already. Give extra attention to Jannie du Plessis, BJ Botha and CJ van der Linde… get them up to speed! The same applies to OUTSIDE CENTRE….

Considering this, how’s the following for the almost immediate future:

15 Frans Steyn, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Juan de Jongh, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Juan Smith (C), 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Gurthro Steenkamp

With the following players (amongst others) on the bench or in the broader squad… Patrick Lambie, Francois Hougaard, Schalk Burger, Danie Rossouw, B J Botha, Gary Botha, Beast Mtawarira.

My feeling is that it is dangerous to sit on our thumbs and do nothing, the game evolves, so should we!