There is only one Test match left for candidates to stake their claims before Springbok head coach Jacques Nienaber names his 33-man squad for the World Cup in France in September.
It would appear, from comments coming from the Bok camp, that versatility and the ability to adapt to any game plan will count when tough selection choices need to be made.
After running the rule over candidates during the Rugby Championship, only a clash against Argentina in Buenos Aires on Saturday remains before their squad announcement on August 8.
After the squad is named there will be further opportunities for Nienaber to experiment in warm-ups against Wales in Cardiff and New Zealand in London.
Once the preliminaries are done and dusted, the task of defending their World Cup crown starts in earnest with what is expected to be a tough opener against Scotland in Marseille on September 10.
Before one of the Bok preparation camps, SA’s director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus, gave a hint of the mix of players fans can expect to see in France.
Erasmus said the Bok brains trust were not yet sure of the squad and much soul-searching would be done before the final announcement.
He said the Boks wanted to take the best 33 players who were in form, healthy, and adaptable.
When he and the coaches talked about the squad they sometimes came up with 38 players and then started narrowing the number down to 33.
The big question is whether Siya Kolisi and Handré Pollard will make the cut and Nienaber said both players were on course with their rehabilitation from injuries.
Pollard injured his calf and Kolisi injured his knee in April while playing for the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship and underwent surgery.
It was initially thought Kolisi would miss the Boks’ World Cup defence, but such has been the speed of his recovery that the team’s management hope he will be available to play one of the final warm-up games against either Wales or New Zealand in the UK.
Tough calls await the Bok brains trust as they prepare for the ultimate test in world rugby.
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