As the Springbok coaches continue to meticulously plan out the road map to the 2027 World Cup, they have cleared demonstrated that a delicate balancing act is required between older statesmen and talented newcomers.

This has been a year where the likes of Ethan Hooker, Canan Moodie, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Grant Williams, Ruan Nortje, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Wilco Louw and even Andre Esterhuizen have increasingly proved their immense value to the Springboks, and added immense competition to the team.

It’s left some World Cup winners in a real state of limbo, and here we look at four in particular who have a