Me saying Etzebeth had a poor game does not mean that I say drop him going forward or even drop him for a single game. I did include him in what I see as our strongest team. I was more going in the direction - although I didn't specifically state it - that we cannot lay last weeks loss at the feet of the new caps, or at least not just at their feet. Etzebeth as great a player as he is was one of the weakest links in that performance on the day. I'll stand by that statement in the isolated context of that game.
On to who else might play for us at 10.. That is a question we will need to answer and my hope is that the right person will stand up and be counted when the time comes but all the options I can think of have an asterisk next to their names;
Jantjies has had so many chances as isn't going to get any better.
Goosen was probably the best SA 10 start of last year but is made of glass and also not getting any younger.
Willemse will not be playing 10 for the Stormers and I agree with the general consensus that 12 is his best position. I don't agree that he is a better 15 than a 10 though but the combination of him playing his club rugby at 12 and his value to the Bokke as a utility back probably rules him out of the picture.
I believe we are past looking at Morne Steyn at this point?
Even though I have a soft spot for the man, I would not feel comfortable with Libbok at test level. I'd add Bosch here as well as I see them as very similar players and though I do believe that the test side has it in them to play a bit more open I believe that a mercurial player would not fit in with the rest of the side. Not if they don't sharp up their positional kicking, defense and goal kicking.
That leaves Chris Smith, Boeta Chamberlain, Hendrickse or a young up and commer like Mngomezulu or Wolhuter. Maybe given time? But the RWC is next year and it's probably going to be Jantjies and Willemse. And that's probably fair enough with no legitimate alternative in so short a time scale and Goosen being a what if.
