When does the Springboks’ selection policy become inflexible?

There’ll always be a few raised eyebrows when a player in a specific position replaces another in a different one.

But the Springboks’ wisdom of replacing injured flanker Jean-Luc du Preez with a lock in the Sharks’ Ruan Botha is hardly an issue in this instance.

Instead, it’s the viability of Allister Coetzee’s selection policy that’s under the spotlight.

The national coach insists his philosophy is pretty much non-negotiable currently.

“The big thing is consistency, yes, a massive thing. Then team culture too, a massive thing for us,” he said.

“I believe in giving players a second chance unless – and I told the players – you play yourself out of the mix. The other players must give me a reason to select them.”

On Tuesday, a statement read that Botha had been picked for playing “consistently well” as well as being “part of our training camps”.

Yet there’s a pretty decent argument that Western Province lock JD Schickerling ended this season stronger than him.

Was Schickerling overlooked because he didn’t attend a Springbok camp way back in the middle of year?

The snubbing of his teammate and flyhalf Robert du Preez gives us an indication in that regards perhaps.

“There are a number of players who’ve performed well in the Currie Cup,” said Coetzee.

“But if you start out and back players, we have to be prudent. Someone like Curwin Bosch is a fantastic player and we’ve started a process with him. How can I now just say the process must stop? It’s just great that all of a sudden – since Pat Lambie has left for France – that another guy like Robert has stepped up.”

That sounds more than sound in theory.

But when does it become a problem to ignore an in-form player, who hasn’t been exposed to the Springbok squad yet, in favour of one used to the system?

The upcoming tour might just tell us.

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