Age won’t dictate Springbok selection in the next four-year cycle, with the majority of the current squad helping defend the World Cup at Australia 2027, writes MARK KEOHANE.
Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane argues that Rassie Erasmus, SA’s director of rugby, has consistently demonstrated that both youth and experience are valuable.
He highlights that Erasmus has a track record of selecting players based on their suitability for the national team rather than convention, an approach that proved successful in the Boks lifting the Webb Ellis Cup for a fourth time in France.
Keohane lauds the likes of Canan Moodie and Deon Fourie, led by Erasmus, Jacques Nienaber and Siya Kolisi, emphasising that the core of this group will challenge Ireland in the Republic next year as well.
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He also acknowledges that the Boks under Erasmus are known for their adaptability, with players filling various positions based on the team’s needs, irrespective of their traditional roles.
“Understandably, post a World Cup cycle, the spotlight shines on the next generation and many are quick to want to shift older members of a completed cycle to one side,” Keohane writes.
“What these Boks and their tactical mastermind and primary selector Rassie Erasmus have shown is that age is just a number and that experience can’t be bought or fast-tracked.
“Good enough is young enough; just like good enough is old enough. Expect more of the same in the next four years from the same players and mastermind.
“Don’t be in a hurry to retire the older warriors.”
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