Predict your nation's XV to start the 2023 RWC in France.

Where goats go to escape
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Kawazaki
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Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:25 am

Include subs as second name in brackets.
Select what you think will be picked not your personal choice.

1. Genge (Marler)
2. George (LCD)
3. Stuart (Sinkler)
4. Itoje
5. J.Hill (Kruis)
6. Lawes (Underhill)
7. Curry
8. Vunipola (Dombrandt)
9. Youngs (Quirke)
10. Farrell (Smith)
11. Daly
12. Tuilagi
13. Slade
14. Malins
15. Steward

I don't think the ultra conservative Jones will change much despite what we've seen if everyone is available to him. And I think the 6-2 bench is here to stay. Kruis is perhaps more in hope than expectation but he does plan to return to Saracens next season is what I've heard (and he's so much better than Ewels).
GogLais
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Location: Wirral/Cilgwri

There isn't a cat's chance they'll all be fit but

Jones (Carre)
Ellis (Dee) - sorry Ken
Francis (Brown)
Beard
Rowlands (Carter) - sorry Alun
Tshiunza (Navidi)
Wainwright (unless Faletau is reincarnated)
Basham (Jenkins)
WIlliams (Hardy)
Biggar (Anscombe)
Rees-Zammit
Halaholo
North
Adams
Williams (McNicholl)

Quite a few of those will be in their early 30s and time might catch up with them before 2023. I hope those who know better can come up with some that I've overlooked or young players that might come along in the next couple of years.
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sturginho
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Minozzi
Bruno
Brex
Zanon
Ioane
Garbisi
Varney
Steyn
Lamaro
Negri
Fuser
Cannone
Riccioni
Faiva
Nemer
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boere wors
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Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2020 8:03 am

"We trust those guys and know what they have done for us in the past":


15 – Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 71 caps, 60 pts (12t)
14 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 50 caps, 60 pts (12t)
13 – Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 25 caps, 25 pts (5t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Munster) – 57 caps, 35 pts (7t)
11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 24 caps, 95 pts (19t)
10 – Handré Pollard (Montpellier) – 59 caps, 586 pts (6t, 83c, 126p, 4d)
9 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 20 caps, 40pts (8t)
8 – Duane Vermeulen (Ulster) – 60 caps, 15 pts (3t)
7 – Kwagga Smith (Yamaha Júbilo) – 18 caps, 5 pts (1t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 62 caps, 30 pts (6t)
5 – Lood de Jager (Sale Sharks) – 55 caps, 25 pts (5t)
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Toulon) – 96 caps, 15 pts (3t)
3 – Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls) – 53 caps, 5pts (1t)
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Cell C Sharks) – 47 caps, 45 pts (9t)
1 – Ox Nché (Cell C Sharks) – 8 caps, 0pts

Replacements:
16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 45 caps, 50 pts (10t)
17 – Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers) – 58 caps, 5pts (1t)
18 – Vincent Koch (Saracens) – 30 caps, 0 pts
19 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 50 caps, 5pts (1t)
20 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 10 caps, 0 pts
21 – Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers) – 20 caps, 25 pts (5t)
22 – Elton Jantjies (NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes) – 43 caps, 323 pts (2t, 65c, 60p, 1d)
23 – Frans Steyn (Toyota Cheetahs) – 73 caps, 147pts (11t, 7c, 23p, 3d)
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Yr Alban
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Our first team more or less picks itself right now if everyone is fit - though we all know they don’t always perform to expectations.

I don’t expect we’ll be too far away from this team, though what it might look like after the RWC is anyone’s guess. I expect a few retirements in the aftermath.

1. Sutherland
2. Ashman
3. Z. Fagerson
4. Gray
5. Cummings
6. Ritchie
7. Watson
8. M. Fagerson
9. Price
10. Russell
11. Van der Merwe
12. Redpath
13. Harris
14. McLean
15. Hogg

The only shirts that are really up for grabs right now are 2, 8 and 14. I have a funny feeling about Ashman at 2, but there are at least 4 others in the mix and if one hits form, it’ll be them. 8 is the opposite, with no standout performer. Matt Fagerson currently in possession but it’s wide open. At least 3 possibilities for 14 too, but I fancy McLean to take it.

EDIT: Sutherland will need to show his best form to stay as LHP ahead of Schoeman.
It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.
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Grandpa
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boere wors wrote: Wed Nov 24, 2021 9:13 am "We trust those guys and know what they have done for us in the past":


15 – Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 71 caps, 60 pts (12t)
14 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 50 caps, 60 pts (12t)
13 – Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 25 caps, 25 pts (5t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Munster) – 57 caps, 35 pts (7t)
11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 24 caps, 95 pts (19t)
10 – Handré Pollard (Montpellier) – 59 caps, 586 pts (6t, 83c, 126p, 4d)
9 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 20 caps, 40pts (8t)
8 – Duane Vermeulen (Ulster) – 60 caps, 15 pts (3t)
7 – Kwagga Smith (Yamaha Júbilo) – 18 caps, 5 pts (1t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 62 caps, 30 pts (6t)
5 – Lood de Jager (Sale Sharks) – 55 caps, 25 pts (5t)
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Toulon) – 96 caps, 15 pts (3t)
3 – Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls) – 53 caps, 5pts (1t)
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Cell C Sharks) – 47 caps, 45 pts (9t)
1 – Ox Nché (Cell C Sharks) – 8 caps, 0pts

Replacements:
16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 45 caps, 50 pts (10t)
17 – Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers) – 58 caps, 5pts (1t)
18 – Vincent Koch (Saracens) – 30 caps, 0 pts
19 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 50 caps, 5pts (1t)
20 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 10 caps, 0 pts
21 – Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers) – 20 caps, 25 pts (5t)
22 – Elton Jantjies (NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes) – 43 caps, 323 pts (2t, 65c, 60p, 1d)
23 – Frans Steyn (Toyota Cheetahs) – 73 caps, 147pts (11t, 7c, 23p, 3d)
No Kolbe?
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