Back to the future: Our 2019 Boks

After South Africa was dumped out of the 2011 World Cup in the quarterfinal by Australia, we sat down and each picked the starting XV we expected to see in 2015.

Those teams make for interesting reading as for example nobody expected Bryan Habana to be there, while everyone picked Johan Goosen.

On average around half of the players we picked for our individual Springbok starting XV's actually made it into Heyneke Meyer's squad that finished with the bronze medal in England.

That is not a terrible strike rate considering the four-year gap and everything that has happened in South African rugby in that time, but that did not discourage us from doing the same again.

With the likes of Handre Pollard, Lodewyk de Jager and Jesse Kriel still yet to hit Matric and Victor Matfield having just retired in 2011, there have been a number of players that none of us saw coming, and there are sure to be more by the time competition gets underway in Japan.

The fact that there are only three positions with unanimous selections for 2019 – both locks and tighthead prop – shows just how varied opinions on selections can be, especially with the wide lens of a four-year projection.

However, our selectors have never been known to shrink from a challenge and there are a fair few 'klips in die bos' which are sure to get them some stick from the readers – just as they did four years ago.

The two positions which seem to be most widely divided are scrumhalf, right wing and outside centre, with little to no consensus about who should play there for the Boks in Japan.

One thing that all of the selectors clearly agree on is that it is time for some new blood, with Pat Lambie the only player in any of our squads who currently has more than 50 caps Test experience.

At fullback it seems to be between Jesse Kriel and his fellow Bulls star Warrick Gelant, although Jan de Koning is backing Clayton Blommetjies to be the man at the back and nobody interested in Willie le Roux.

There seem to be plenty of options on the wing, with every team featuring a different right wing and opinion divided between Jamba Ulengo and Lwazi Mvovo on the left, while there is no place at all for JP Pietersen.

In midfield there seems to be agreement that Damian de Allende should keep the No.12 jersey, with only Paul Dobson suggesting that Handre Pollard could play there, but there is no agreement whatsoever about who should play outside centre with a range of different options.

At flyhalf Pollard is the favourite, although there were calls for Pat Lambie and Elton Jantjies, and there is far less certainty about scrumhalf with Rudy Paige the only option to get more than one vote.

At No.8 the majority expect Duane Vermeulen to take his place, but the wise heads of Dobson and De Koning do not expect to see his body hold up that long and have opted for the youthful exuberance of Sikhumbuzo Notshe and Tim Agaba instead.

On the side of the scrum Siya Kolisi is favoured to take over as blindside, with the Kings' Thembelani Bholi a serious option for Warren Fortune and Tauriq Ebrahim, while at openside most would like to see Jaco Kriel with the exception of Michael de Vries who opted for Marcell Coetzee.

In the second row it was unanimous, with nobody deviating from the impressive pairing of Eben Etzebeth and Lodewyk de Jager, and most agreeing that Pieter-Steph du Toit would be their man to sit on the bench.

In the front row there is complete confidence in Frans Malherbe at tighthead, and on the loosehead side it seems to be between Steven Kitshoff and Trevor Nyakane, while young Malcolm Marx is favourite to claim the hooker berth ahead of Siyabonga Ntubeni.

Here are our 2019 Bok teams:

Paul Dobson XV: 15 Jesse Kriel, 14 Sergeal Pietersen, 13 Damian de Allende, 12 Handré Pollard, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff.

Jan de Koning XV: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Courtnall Skosan, 13 Jessie Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Francois de Klerk, 8 Tim Agaba, 7 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Lodewyk de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Trevor Nyakane.

Michael de Vries XV: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Lodewyk de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 Trevor Nyakane.

Andrew Duncan XV: 15, Warrick Gelant, 14 Ruan Combrink, 13 Rohan Janse Van Rensburg, 12 Damien de Allende, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Marcell Coetzee, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Lodewyk de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff.

Warren Fortune XV: 15 Jesse Kriel, 14 Warrick Gelant, 13 Daniel du Plessis, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Leolin Zass, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Justin Phillips, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Lodewyk de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1 Trevor Nyakane. 

Tauriq Ebrahim XV: 15 Jesse Kriel, 14 Lwazi Mvovo, 13 Howard Mnisi, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Lodewyk de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 Trevor Nyakane.

Our 2015 teams picked in 2011:

Jan De Koning XV: 15 Jaco Taute, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Juan De Jongh, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Michael Killian, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 François Hougaard, 8 Schalk Burger (Captain), 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Jan Andre Marais, 3 Jannie Du Plessis, 2 Bismarck Du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.

Len Kaplan XV: 15 Patrick Lambie, 14 Jan Serfontein, 13 Juan De Jongh, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Paul Jordaan, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 François Hougaard, 8 Nick Köster, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Arno Botha, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Bismarck Du Plessis (Captain), 1 Tendai Mtawarira.

Michael De Vries XV: 15 Patrick Lambie, 14 Sibusiso Sithole, 13 Jaco Taute, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 JJ Engelbrecht, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 François Hougaard, 8 Joshua Strauss, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Bismarck Du Plessis (Captain), 1 Tendai Mtawarira.

Paul Dobson XV: 15 Patrick Lambie, 14 Paul Jordaan, 13 Juan De Jongh, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Jaco Taute, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 François Hougaard, 8 Jacques Du Plessis, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Lappies Labuschagne, 5 Eben Etzebeth, 4 Quinn Roux, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle (Captain), 1 Steven Kitshoff.

Howie Kahn XV: 15 Jaco Taute, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Jan Serfontein, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 François Hougaard, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Bismarck Du Plessis, 1 Steven Kitshoff.

Timmy Hancox XV: 15 Patrick Lambie, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaco Taute, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Paul Jordaan, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 François Hougaard, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Schalk Burger (Captain), 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Daniel Adongo, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Bismarck Du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.

Let us know what you think of our squads by leaving a comment. Who would you pick for 2019?

Compiled by Michael de Vries