You have to tip your hat to Rassie Erasmus for his boldness to select Cheslin Kolbe for the Springboks’ tour of Australasia.
While the selection of Kolbe on Friday was generally described as a “shock”, it certainly didn’t surprise me.
Like Rassie said after the Boks lost to Argentina last week; it’s now win at all cost.
And winning at all cost means selecting the best players available to the team in order to get the best result.
The best result for South Africa, though, is not winning the Rugby Championship, it’s winning next year’s World Cup.
And that brings me to the end-of-year-tour to the UK and this year’s Currie Cup.
By the end of 2018, Rassie should know exactly who he can call on for the World Cup roundabout this time next year.
The key lies in testing everyone.
Now there have already been talks about South African rugby players playing too much rugby.
And we saw how a big impact the year-end tours can have in terms of injuries to key players - Eben Etzebeth is the latest example of a player that went down on this tour last year and missed the whole Super Rugby season.
My “plan” is to reward Currie Cup players for their form in this tournament to give them a purpose in the domestic championship.
This is why I believe Rassie should pick untried players for this European tour.
Add a couple of players that have fallen off the Bok radar for some experience and you will have a squad that should give the Europeans a run for their money.
One player that has really caught my eye in the Currie Cup to date is No.8 Hacjivah Dayimani. What a talent.
Without doubt the fastest eighthman in SA, the Lions star has a great step and is superb on the attack.
He proved to be more than that in Saturday’s match against the Blue Bulls, making a vital steal on the Lions’ line as the Bulls threatened to steal the win at the end of the match.
At 20, he is definitely one for the future.
It’s also on this tour where I believe Damian Willemse should be given the No.10 jumper and pair up with Embrose Papier at halfback.
Forgotten Boks Dillyn Leyds, Curwin Bosch, youngsters JD Schickerling, RG Snyman, Marco van Staden, veteran Schalk Brits, Scarra Ntubeni and even a last chance for the likes of Frans Steyn, Pat Lambie and some overseas-based players can be added to this experimental squad.
I’d also like to see how Juarno Augustus goes in the Green and Gold before the World Cup.
Creating depth and testing these guys is what the Boks are trying to do and I believe this is the best way to do it.
But while these players are getting their first real taste of international rugby at the end of the year, the ‘real’ Springboks should be in camp preparing for the World Cup.
The end-of-year tour means nothing in terms of results if the World Cup is around the corner and should be treated as such.
Rassie won’t lose his job after this tour - which has seen many Bok coaches come under pressure in the past - and he should treat his squad selection with that sort of invincibility.
That way the selectors will be able to choose the best national squad for the World Cup and also give good reasons as to why a player has made it and why another hasn’t.