Unless Allister Coetzee calls in some help from overseas, Springbok fans are going to be boos again when France get here in June.
The table is set for June 10 at Loftus Versfeld and the main meal is slowly being prepared.
On the menu? Toetie.
As it stands, the only thing for France coach Guy Noves to do is plant that touche on Coetzee.
Given the current state of players in this country, the national boss doesn’t have much to work with.
Of his 15 starters in the Boks’ last match of 2016 against Wales, seven are currently either unavailable, out of favour, or have retired.
The two retirees are captain Adriaan Strauss and fullback Johan Goosen.
Wing Ruan Combrinck is still injured, while his Lions teammate Rohan Janse van Rensburg also added his name to the long-term injury list two weeks ago.
Staying in Johannesburg, scrumhalf Faf de Klerk is so out of form that he was not invited to the last Bok camp.
Coetzee’s two flankers Nizaam Carr and Uzair Cassiem in that defeat to Wales last year also don’t look like they will man the sides of the scrum later this year.
Carr is struggling to make the Stormers’ starting XV, while Cassiem has just returned from injury.
It can be seen as a blessing or a curse for Coetzee – I’m leaning towards the latter.
Unless he calls in a few favours. With Saru having changed their overseas rule to allow players with more than 30 caps to still be available for the national team, Toetie can save his job by calling the cavalry.
There isn’t a single scrumhalf putting up his hand at the moment apart from Cobus Reinach, who leaves SA at the end of the current season and will no longer be available once he does so.
Luckily, Francois Hougaard is starring overseas and having played more than 30 caps is still available to the Boks.
The midfield injury crisis has been well documented.
So if Jesse Kriel plays in the centre of the park, Coetzee will probably call in Willie le Roux at fullback.
Furthermore, the squad will be inexperienced and it will make sense for Coetzee to rope in Bryan Habana and Duane Vermeulen to provide some know-how – especially on the French.
A guy like Bismarck du Plessis will also be more than helpful even if he plays off the bench.
So while there will be some overseas call-ups, Coetzee will also have to reward domestic form and give youngsters an opportunity.
So let’s look at a possible starting XV for the first France Test at Loftus: