Old hands for shorter term

While it is encouraging that coach Rassie Erasmus is looking to the future, by calling up 16 young, uncapped players for the first of his alignment camps, one cannot help but wonder what his plans are for the older men in the 43-man squad.

Also, several other experienced Bok players who play their rugby in Europe, won’t be part of the camp in Cape Town early next month, and they, too, fall into the category of “unknown” looking ahead to the 2027 World Cup.

The ages of many of the players who have now won back-toback World Cups were talked about after the victory in France late last year, and again now it is interesting to note that all those players appear to still be in the mix to play for the Boks this year and beyond.

Or, is it a case of Erasmus keeping some of them in the mix to help guide the younger men for a year or two, or in the case of Willie le Roux, a real Bok stalwart, get him to reach his 100 Test caps this season.

He is on 93 caps, but at 34 is unlikely to play at the next World Cup.

Le Roux though is in the group that will do alignment and planning work next month ahead of the 2024 season, and so too are Vincent Koch (33), Bongi Mbonambi (33), Makazole Mapimpi (33), Frans Malherbe (32), Eben Etzebeth (32) and Faf de Klerk (32) in the squad.

But, will these players still be in the mix in two years’ time …and in four years’ time when the next World Cup comes around?

Recent World Cup winners who play abroad, Trevor Nyakane and Cobus Reinach are 34, Franco Mostert is 33, Siya Kolisi, Steven Kitshoff and Damian de Allende are 32, while Pieter-Steph du Toit is 31.

There are several others who are 30. Are they still realistic Bok options?

While it’s been a fantastic ride with the two-time-winning Bok squad, for how long will Erasmus stick with these men?

Eighthman Duane Vermeulen called it quits late last year, so will there be more saying goodbye, or will Erasmus be left to make the tough calls on their careers?