Our Bok 'dream team'
As is always the case Meyer's selections will be judged on two levels – whether he has met the political animals' transformation targets and whether he has the right collection to win the Webb Ellis Cup.
However, a bigger problem for Meyer is the number of injured players that are in a race to be fit for the global showpiece that gets underway next month.
Top of that list is captain Jean de Villiers, scrumhalf Fourie du Preez and No.8 Duane Vermeulen.
The 34-year-old De Villiers is set to named despite a disastrous return to Test action in which he broke his jaw having just made a miraculous recovery from a serious knee injury.
The jaw injury may well prevent De Villiers from being fit for South Africa's opening match at the global showpiece, against Japan on September 19. However, it will be a massive shock if he is not named captain.
The 33-year-old Du Preez has not played since the Japanese season ended last February, with injuries preventing him from making a comeback in the Rugby Championship.
Despite a surplus of quality loose forwards, the Bok coach appears desperate to have Vermeulen on the plane heading to England next month.
However, the biggest decision will be whether he had bowed to political pressure and opted to take along additional non-white players.
Jan de Koning and Michael de Vries sat down and selected their Springbok 'Dream Team'.
Although we have the luxury that our team does not have to play, we still opted to select on merit only – coming up with seven non-white players in our 31-man squad.
In the front row we have five props and three hooker – Tendai Mtawarira, Steven Kitshoff, Jannie du Plessis, Frans Malherbe and Trevor Nyakane, with the latter able to cover both the loosehead and tighthead prop positions. Our hookers are Bismarck du Plessis, Adriaan Strauss and Schalk Brits.
The locks in our teams are Eben Etzebeth, Victor Matfield, Lodewyk de Jager and Pieter-Steph du Toit – with the latter able to also cover blindside flank.
Among the loose forwards we also have in Schalk Burger a player who can cover all three positions – with two openside flanks in Francois Louw and Marcell Coetzee (if he is fit), two blindside flanks in Willem Alberts and Siya Kolisi. The unlucky ones are Heinrich Brüssow and Teboho Mohojé, with Brüssow a good prospect to have as back-up if Coetzee is not fit. It is a risk, but Duane Vermeulen is out only No.8 – with Warren Whiteley on standby.
Our big bolter is at scrumhalf, where we selected Francois Hougaard – as he can also cover wing. Fourie du Preez and Ruan Pienaar are first- and second-choices for the matchday 23. Du Preez is a massive risk, as he goes into the World Cup with no game time this year, with Pienaar having started in all the Tests.
We have decided to also take three flyhalves – Handré Pollard, Patrick Lambie and Elton Jantjies – with Lambie able to cover fullback.
We have just three centres in Jean de Villiers, Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel and three wings in Bryan Habana, Lwazi Mvovo and JP Pietersen – the latter able to cover midfield as well.
Our fullback is Willie le Roux – with Lambie able to cover No.15.
The positions where Meyer's final team could differ with ours is at flyhalf (Morné Steyn instead of Elton Jantjies), scrumhalf (Rudy Paige instead of Francois Hougaard) and prop (Coenie Oosthuizen instead of Steven Kitshoff).
Just like you, we are anxiously waiting to see how close we are. Let us know what you think!
Our Dream team:
Forwards: Tendai Mtawarira, Steven Kitshoff, Jannie du Plessis, Frans Malherbe, Trevor Nyakane, Bismarck du Plessis, Adriaan Strauss, Schalk Brits, Eben Etzebeth, Victor Matfield, Lodewyk de Jager, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Francois Louw, Marcell Coetzee, Willem Alberts, Siya Kolisi, Duane Vermeulen, Schalk Burger.
Backs: Francois Hougaard, Fourie du Preez, Ruan Pienaar, Handré Pollard, Patrick Lambie, Elton Jantjies, Jean de Villiers, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel, Bryan Habana, Lwazi Mvovo, JP Pietersen, Willie le Roux.
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