MY BURNING QUESTIONS
Who will captain the team?
In the absence of the injured Warren Whiteley and Eben Etzebeth, Rassie Erasmus is going to need to appoint a leader amongst the few experienced players within his squad. Duane Vermeulen is easily the favoured choice but Erasmus will be at pains to explain the continued exclusion of Siya Kolisi from being given the opportunity to lead the national team. Kolisi should have been the man to captain the side last year when Whiteley suffered a series ending injury against France.
Who will play at hooker?
Without Malcolm Marx, the Springboks have been dealt a major injury blow and it leaves Erasmus with a tricky selection conundrum. Will Erasmus opt to look to the past and call on Bismarck du Plessis and Adriaan Strauss, or will Erasmus show confidence and trust in the number twos who have played in Super Rugby? Chiliboy Ralepelle has the required experience but his lack of game time at the Sharks could be an obstacle. Stormers hooker Ramone Samuels is an option so too is Akker van der Merwe but they both lack experience. Maybe Bongi Mbonambi will be rushed back into the team.
Will Erasmus meet his transformation targets?
Always a contentious issue, Erasmus will have to confront this head on. There is no getting around the targets set out by Saru of having a representative squad comprising of at least 50 percent black players at next year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan. While Erasmus’ predecessors have failed dismally in this regard, there are more than sufficient player resources for Erasmus to meet his 45 percent target for this year. Selecting the required amount of black players won’t be enough though, Erasmus’ commitment to the transformation project will be judged by his faith in giving players game time.
MY BOK TEAM
STARTING XV: Warrick Gelant, Aphiwe Dyantyi, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Dillyn Leyds, Handre Pollard, Faf de Klerk, Duane Vermeulen, Jean-Luc du Preez, Siya Kolisi (captain), Franco Mostert, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Trevor Nyakane, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Tendai Mtawarira; BENCH: Akker van der Merwe, Wilco Louw, Steven Kitshoff, RG Snyman, Louis Schreuder, Elton Jantjies, Lukhanyo Am.