Last chance for Bok World Cup hopefuls in Buenos Aires?

The Springbok management have made a number of strange selections for their trip to Argentina where they will play their first World Cup warm-up match against Los Pumas in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

It was a tough Rugby Championship for the Boks as they made a large number of changes to each match day squad, which saw differing results as they thumped Australia 43-12, lost to the All Blacks 35-20 and then just scraped past Argentina 22-21 this past Saturday.

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The lack of consistency in selection has obviously contributed massively to the team not gelling, with Bok coach Jacques Nienaber admitting as much in the after-game press conference over the weekend.

While it is understandable to get game time into as many of the 33-man squad that will be heading to the World Cup starting in September, this weekend will possibly see players who will not be going to the showpiece event featuring.

Six matches

With just three Rugby Championship matches and three warm-up games the Boks had six matches to get themselves game-ready for the World Cup.

Surely their focus should be on giving as much game time to their frontline starters, while also giving their squad players some time as well.

But this weekend will see some players who may not make the final 33-man squad taking much needed game time and a chance to build good cohesiveness away from others who will possibly be going to the World Cup.

Players such as loose forwards Evan Roos and Jean-Luc du Preez, scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies and centre Andre Esterhuizen will likely be starting or playing off the bench and they will probably not be in the World Cup squad.

Roos, Du Preez and Jantjies are all in massively congested departments and are too far down the pecking order to be selected, while Esterhuizen would be a nice addition to the World Cup squad, but his lack of utility value will probably count massively against him.

Other fringe players selection is understandable as some of them are still on the fence on whether they will be going to France or not.

Battling it out

Jean Kleyn and Marvin Orie are probably battling it out for a spot with the locks, while the Bok management may still be deciding whether to take Joseph Dweba as the third choice hooker or risk taking utility forward Deon Fourie in that position.

Utility forward Franco Mostert is another player who might be a bit nervy about his position with Marco van Staden having firmly thrown his hat into the ring with two starts this season.

Prop Gerhard Steenekamp will not make the World Cup squad, but his selection is understandable as he will probably not be in the match-23 this weekend and is only there in case of an injury or illness to one of the other props, as the Boks left Frans Malherbe at home to rest.

The World Cup squad will be named next week.

Springbok squad in Argentina:

Props: Thomas du Toit, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Gerhard Steenekamp, Trevor Nyakane

Hookers: Bongi Mbonambi, Joseph Dweba

Locks: Lood de Jager, Jean Kleyn, Marvin Orie

Loose forwards: Jean-Luc du Preez, Evan Roos, Jasper Wiese

Utility forwards: Deon Fourie, Franco Mostert

Scrumhalves: Jaden Hendrikse, Herschel Jantjies, Cobus Reinach

Flyhalf: Manie Libbok

Centres: Lukhanyo Am, Andre Esterhuizen, Jesse Kriel

Outside Backs: Makazole Mapimpi, Canan Moodie, Kurt-Lee Arendse

Utility back: Damian Willemse