Hmm. I don't much care for crystal balling; like Big Ewis above me I don't think we'll see too much change from HM's stated preferences. I can see us fielding a team looking like the left hand column whereas my own selections if I were to be in charge would be on the right;
Players I assume as being unavailable but which I (in my current capacity as fantasy SA selector) or I think HM would consider include:
Arno Botha, Boom Prinsloo (guy was in some awesome form leading up to injury), PSdT, De Villiers. Otherwise, though not injured I also see Jaque Fourie and Frans Steyn as unavailable.
[TABLE="class: outer_border, width: 500"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD]My reading of HM's mind[/TD]
[TD]My own considerations[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Starting XV[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1 Tendai Mtawarira[/TD]
[TD]1 Heinke van der Merwe[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2 Bismarck du Plessis[/TD]
[TD]2 Bismarck du Plessis[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3 Jannie du Plessis[/TD]
[TD]3 Frans Malherbe[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]4 Eben Etzebeth[/TD]
[TD]4 Lood de Jager[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]5 Victor Matfield[/TD]
[TD]5 Eben Etzebeth[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]6 Francois Louw[/TD]
[TD]6 Francois Louw[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]7 Willem Alberts[/TD]
[TD]7 Duane Vermeulen[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]8 Duane Vermeulen[/TD]
[TD]8 Warren Whiteley[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]9 Fourie du Preez[/TD]
[TD]9 Fourie du Preez[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]10 Morne Steyn[/TD]
[TD]10 Handre Pollard[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]11 Bryan Habana[/TD]
[TD]11 Lwazi Mvovo[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]12 Jan Serfontein[/TD]
[TD]12 Jan Serfontein[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]13 JP Pietersen[/TD]
[TD]13 Damian de Allende[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]14 Lwazi Mvovo[/TD]
[TD]14 Jesse Kriel[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]15 Willie le Roux[/TD]
[TD]15 Willie le Roux[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Bench[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]16 Coenie Oosthuizen[/TD]
[TD]16 Coenie Oosthuizen[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]17 Adriaan Strauss[/TD]
[TD]17 Adriaan Strauss[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]18 Lood de Jager[/TD]
[TD]18 Juandre Kruger[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]19 Schalk Burger[/TD]
[TD]19 Schalk Burger[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]20 Ruan Pienaar[/TD]
[TD]20 Cobus Reinach[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]21 Handre Pollard[/TD]
[TD]21 Pat Lambie[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]22 Damian de Allende[/TD]
[TD]22 JP Pietersen[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]
Some motivations for my own selections other than what I expect from HM; I really think Beast, Jannie and Alberts need an extended break and I can't see Jake White giving it to them with him being a bit of an A-hole and the Sharks sure to make the play-offs. I certainly see Beast and Alberts as part of 'my' Bok team further on though. I don't see Matfield as up to the pace I expect form NZ and Aus and think we don't need him. Other than that I pick overseas based players I think we can get what we need from in Heinke van der Merwe and Juandre Kruger while I drop Pienaar and Hougaard who have not delivered on so much time afforded to them. Morne Steyn and Habana I leave but will have in the RWC squad of 31. I reward the form backrower (ITO play-making I think we are lacking at 8) and top SA tackler (Warren Whiteley) and back (Damian de Allende- power and fine skills already? sign me up) with call ups and starts to send a message that SR form and being based locally does count. Jesse Kriel I have as a bolter on the wing because I like the skillset he posesses on top of enough beef for test rugby and he has a way of getting into try scoring positions (and a good understanding with Pollard already).