How the Bok locks stack up

However the most intriguing selection perhaps – when he names his team on Wednesday, for Saturday's encounter with the Welsh at Twickenham – is who will start in the second row?

If veteran lock Victor Matfield, a 2007 World Cup winner, makes a full recovery from injury, it will mean Meyer will have his full quota of second row forwards to select from – a very pleasant headache.

According to reports from the team's base at Pennyhill Park in Bagshot, Matfield, who missed the last two matches with a hamstring strain, did not take part in full training on Monday.

However, he was listed as 'likely to be available for selection' at a team media briefing earlier this week.

One of the key factors in South Africa's comeback from an opening round loss to Japan has been the form of the locks.

While most pundits see young guns Eben Etzebeth and Lodewyk de Jager as the perfect partnership, Meyer may well opt for the experience of 125 Test caps and three previous World Cups that Matfield brings.

Matfield started alongside De Jager in the opening match, with Etzebeth coming on as a second-half replacement. Matfield then started alongside Etzebeth in the next match against Samoa, with De Jager coming off the bench after the beak.

Injury intervened and for the next two matches Etzebeth and De Jager were the starting locks – with another young gun, Pieter-Steph du Toit, coming off the bench late in the matches against Scotland and the United States. Du Toit was started at flank in the loss to Japan.

The Bok camp was giving very little away ahead of Wednesday's team announcement, with assistant coach John McFarland singing the praises of all the second row forwards.

"Victor played the first 50-odd minutes against Samoa and he was really good," McFarland said, when quizzed at a media briefing about a possible lock combination.

"The man on my left [Etzebeth] brings it as well.

"We have two great young locks and Victor sets the lead in terms of where we all aspire to – in terms of his workrate, in terms of the way he conducts himself and the way he plays.

"We are blessed to have, including Pieter-Steph du Toit, four great locks," McFarland added.

Etzebeth was also not going to let the media into any selection secrets he may have.

"They are both great players," he said, when asked about the attributes of Matfield and de Jager – who are presumably vying for the No.5 position.

"Victor has more [Test] caps, but on the field Lood [de Jager] brings it," Etzebeth said.

"His defence is fantastic and he is a good ball-carrier."

So, how do the Bok locks stack up against each other?

We had a look at their World Cup statistics and it makes for some interesting reading!

Victor Matfield

(played two matches, made 18 tackles, has a 100 percent tackles success rate, had six carries for 25 metres)

Played 80 minutes (at lock) in the 32-34 loss to Japan

Played 54 minutes (at lock) in the 46-6 win over Samoa

Did not play in the 34-16 win over Scotland

Did not play in the 64-0 win over the United States

Lodewyk de Jager

(played four matches, made 50 tackles, has a 98 percent tackle success rate; made 21 carries for 98 metres)

Played 68 minutes (at lock) in the 32-34 loss to Japan

Played 26 minutes (at lock) in the 46-6 win over Samoa

Played 75 minutes (at lock) in the 34-16 win over Scotland

Played 63 minutes (at lock) in the 64-0 win over the United States

Eben Etzebeth

(played four matches, made 32 tackles, has a 97 percent tackle success rate, made 18 carries for 72 metres)

Played 12 minutes (at lock) in the 32-34 loss to Japan

Played 80 minutes (at lock) in the 46-6 win over Samoa

Played 80 minutes (at lock) in the 34-16 win over Scotland

Played 80 minutes (at lock) in the 64-0 win over the United States

Pieter-Steph du Toit

(played three matches, made 11 tackles, has a 92 percent tackle success rate, made four carries for 10 metres)

Played 57 minutes (on the flank) in the 32-34 loss to Japan

Did not play in the 46-6 win over Samoa

Played five minutes (at lock) in the 34-16 win over Scotland

Played 17 minutes (at lock) in the 64-0 win over the United States

Stats courtesy of @rugbyworldcup

Compiled by @rugby365com