With only two matches remaining before the Springboks start their 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign, coach Heyneke Meyer and his fellow selectors will be spoiled for choice when they make a final call on the 31-man squad that will compete at the global showpiece, starting in mid-September in England.
While Meyer will be pleased that so many have justifiably strong claims, he is also saddled with the situation that some of the less-fancied players have produced noteworthy performances in the absence of first-choice personnel, some of whom could return from injury lay-offs in the next week or so.
South Africa suffered a 27-20 defeat to New Zealand in Johannesburg at the weekend when both sides tried out a few new combinations, and as is always the case in matches of this magnitude, some players paid the price for putting their bodies on the line.
While the selection process in itself will be challenging, the task of choosing the forwards could be a nightmare.
This latest batch of injured players include Warren Whiteley and Vincent Koch, both of whom left the field with fractured ribs on Saturday. Tighthead prop Jannie du Plessis picked-up a knee injury and Francois Louw injured his shoulder.
It would be a major blow if Du Plessis does not recover in time, more so in the light of his inspired performance against the All Blacks at the weekend.
News coming out of the Bok camp is that Whiteley and Koch will be in a race against time to be fit for the World Cup.
Apart from the threat of injuries to key tightheads, Meyer appears to have most bases covered. The tighthead position is considered one of the most important in any team, and an area where there aren’t many stand-out players usually available.
Like all his predecessors, Meyer is unlikely to have any trouble selecting enough capable loose forwards and the splendid comeback Heinrich Brüssow made against the All Blacks has strengthened the flanker’s claims.
When Marcel Coetzee and Duane Vermeulen are available for selection, there will be an abundance of quality loose forward talent.
One of the challenges facing Meyer will be to strike a balance between form and experience.
Staying with the forwards, the prolific performance by lock Lood de Jager against the world’s top-ranked side could prompt the national coach to rather utilise Victor Matfield in the same role that Bob Skinstad played at the 2007 World Cup.
Skinstad was used in a mentorship role which proved vital to the team’s cause in France.
De Jager’s lineout work was outstanding and his physical presence around the park could see him start ahead of Matfield.
As far as hookers are concerned, Meyer should give Scarra Ntobeni a run against Argentina and Schalk Brits should also be in the loop – especially considering the poor run of form Adriaan Strauss has had of late.
Strauss has struggled to find his lineout jumpers and if this trend continues, he may become the team’s third-choice hooker for the tournament.
Ntobeni is, however, untested at Test level, but has built a reputation at the Stormers as being a never-say-die player and is unlikely to find the transition too difficult.