Playing selector: We pick our 33 Boks for the Rugby World Cup squad

The wait is almost over … by mid-afternoon South African rugby fans will know who the 33 chosen men are that will represent the Springboks at this year’s Rugby World Cup in France.

Whose passports will get a visa in then to visit Europe later this month and into September and October and who will stay home to watch the action on TV? That is the big question South African rugby fans have been asking for months now.

ALSO READ: World Cup squad: Five things to know before Boks are unveiled

Record

The Boks have played 30 Tests since beating England 32-12 in the 2019 final in Yokohama and they will head to France as defending champions, with 19 wins and 11 defeats to their name in the last four years.

Jacques Nienaber and his men will still play two warm-up games against Wales (19 August) in Cardiff and New Zealand (25 August) in London before making their way to France.

Hotly contested debates have raged about who Nienaber will pick, with his selection at hooker, lock, scrumhalf, centre and in the outside backs partcularly topical. Also there are injury concerns about captain Siya Kolisi, flyhalf Handre Pollard and centre Lukhanyo Am.

Up to 25 players from the 33 that featured for the Boks in Japan are set to be retained this time, meaning it will be an experienced and settled squad that is picked.

Here then are the squads selected by The Citizen’s rugby writers, Head of Sport Jacques van der Westhuyzen, Senior writer Ross Roche and rugby writer Athenkosi Tstotsi.

Squad predictions

Jacques van der Westhuyzen’s squad

Forwards
Props: Kitshoff, Nche, Malherbe, Koch, Du Toit, Nyakane
Hookers: Mbonambi, Marx, Dweba
Locks: Etzebeth, Kleyn, De Jager, Snyman
Loose forwards: Kolisi, Smith, Du Toit, Vermeulen, Wiese, Mostert
Backs
Scrumhalves: De Klerk, Reinach, Williams
Flyhalves: Pollard, Libbok
Centres: De Allende, Esterhuizen, Am, Kriel
Outside backs: Kolbe, Mapimpi, Arendse, Le Roux, Willemse

Ross Roche’s squad

Forwards
Props: Kitshoff, Nche, Malherbe, Koch, Nyakane
Hookers: Marx, Mbonambi
Locks: Etzebeth, Kleyn, De Jager, Snyman
Loose forwards: Kolisi, Smith, Du Toit, Vermeulen, Wiese
Utility forwards: Fourie, Mostert
Backs
Scrumhalves: De Klerk, Hendrikse, Reinach, Williams
Flyhalves: Pollard, Libbok, Willemse
Centres: De Allende, Am, Kriel
Outside backs: Kolbe, Mapimpi, Arendse, Moodie, Le Roux

Athenkosi Tsotsi’s squad

Forwards
Props: Kitshoff, Nche, Malherbe, Koch, Nyakane
Hookers: Mbonambi, Marx
Locks: Etzebeth, De Jager, Orie, Snyman
Loose forwards: Kolisi, Smith, Du Toit, Vermeulen, Wiese
Utility forwards: Fourie, Mostert
Backs
Scrumhalves: De Klerk, Hendrikse
Flyhalves: Pollard, Libbok
Centres: De Allende, Esterhuizen, Kriel, Am
Outside backs: Kolbe, Mapimpi, Arendse, Moodie
Utility backs: Williams, Willemse, Le Roux