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What would the average age of this SA team be? Not saying anything I'm just curious it seems they've been round forever
It feels like they have been around, and they have been, the 2019 squad was very young, they say that it was the aim to win the 2023 world cup with that squad but they thought they would be too young to win it, then they did win it,
2023 was supposed to be the peak of this team, and now we are in the cycle where it's basically post peak, but massively experienced.
Its just about 31 in my expected starting XV and 30 on the bench. That's actually pretty balanced IMO.
I don't think its as easy as adding 3 years looking towards 2027. I expect WlR to make way for Willemse and Fassi. I would be surprised if Kitshoff and Malherbe made it (not that I am counting them above). Reinach also likely to not make it. I fully expect younger guys like Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Cameron Hanekom (both 22 currently) to be likely starters if they manage to keep fit and firing. I don't think DDA will make it and Am, Kriel and Esterhuizen are all 30 but 33 is fine I feel and there are young centers that are exciting and could make the step up. I am sure at least one of Canan Moodie (22), Suleiman Hartzenberg (21), Jurenzo Julius (20), Ethan Hooker (21) or Henco van Wyk (23) will make it into the RWC squad. My money is on Moodie and Van Wyk. Etzebeth and Snyman will probably make the RWC squad, probably with Nortje. Many of these players are already getting time. So I think the continuity is there even if the team won't resemble the 2019/23 squad but there will probably be a few faces like Etzebeth, Marx, Snyman, maybe PSdT, Pollard, Arendse and/or Kolbe perhaps, Willemse. I don't expect the 2027 team to be very far from ~31/2 average age.