OPINION: SA ‘A’ team more like D or E side

The match in June between an SA A team and Zimbabwe will be an interesting one, for several reasons.

Firstly, we’ll all get a good idea of just how strong Zimbabwe rugby is and what their chances are of pulling off a shock win, or not, at next year’s World Cup in Australia.

More intriguing, from a South African perspective, is who’ll run out for the SA A team?

The thing is, under coach Rassie Erasmus it will be far from an A team, but more like a D or E team.

Erasmus has used so many players over the last few years and will do so again this season and in the build up to the World Cup next year, mixing and matching, that he virtually has two to three teams he could push into Test action on any given day.

Erasmus has created such depth that in each position in the Bok setup there are already up to two to three players able to step in at any time.

So, it will appear that the men who’ll run out against Zimbabwe will be the next generation of Boks, possibly several current and former U20 stars, and those players who just can’t seem to get a look-in at the Boks at the moment.

Because, on the same day as the A team take on Zimbabwe, the Boks will take on the Barbarians and you can be sure it won’t be a full-strength Bok side.

So, who’re we looking at featuring against the Zim Sables?

I’d think the likes of Quan Horn, Henco van Wyk, Ruan Venter, Haashim Pead, Zekhethelo Siyaya, Phepsi Buthelezi, Jurenzo Julius, Andre-Hugo Venter, Cheswill Jooste, Embrose Papier, Siphosethu Mnebelele, JJ Theron, Mpilo Gumede, Reinhardt Ludwig, Neethling Fouche, Paul de Villiers, and Zachary Porthen to name a few.

These men will all be keen to show what they can do and will want to make a big impression, especially with many current senior Boks likely to step down after next year’s World Cup.

For Zimbabwe, the hit-out will be hugely beneficial to know exactly where they are in their preparations. But, also only if the best players are able to feature.