The emergence of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel as an electrifying Springbok midfield combination, just two months before the Rugby World Cup, has given coach Heyneke Meyer a selection headache. The young centres (De Allende is 23 and Kriel 21) have muddied the waters just as skipper Jean de Villiers, 34, fights his way back from injury.No one wants to see a situation where a gifted player is overlooked for a struggling veteran, as happened in 2011 when hooker Bismarck du Plessis was on the bench while captain John Smit started. Du Plessis was the best hooker in the world, but Smit was the Boks' captain.This time around the situation is not as clear-cut. Kriel and De Allende have been impressive at times, but in both tests where they have shone going forward, the Boks have lost.story_article_left1De Villiers will play against Argentina in Durban this week. He will need to show that he's up to speed after 160 minutes of playing time in the past three weeks, following an eight-month lay-off.As long as he's fit, De Villiers will go to the World Cup, but there are no guarantees he will automatically begin the tournament as first choice."Jean simply needs to play and do what he's done in the past couple of years," Meyer said. "The old adage is always true - form is temporary and class is permanent - and Jean is a classy player and person."His leadership is also very important to our cause. He's grown into one of the most respected captains in world rugby in the past four years. Remember, as recently as 2013 he was SA Rugby Player of the Year. I believe he will be back to his best sooner than anyone anticipated."We can use some World Cup pool matches to give him more time to find his groove, but he is already close to exactly that. We now have three captains in our squad (Victor Matfield, 38, and Schalk Burger, 32) so Jean does not have to start every single match."De Villiers was Meyer's choice as captain in 2012 and led the team for three full seasons before suffering that horrific knee injury against Wales last November.mini_story_image_vright1The rise of Kriel and De Allende is seen in some quarters as a sign that De Villiers must be put out to pasture. De Villiers himself has said he wants to be picked on merit alone, but considering the time frame, his World Cup selection will have to be partly done on reputation.And after 106 tests and a near-manic training schedule to regain full fitness, he deserves a slot if he comes through the next two weeks unscathed.Kriel and De Allende have been electrifying going forward, but defensively both rank in the top three for missed tackles after two rounds of the truncated Rugby Championship, collectively missing 14. De Villiers' experience in defensive organisation is a vital skill, acquired over time."Jesse and Damian did very well in our first three matches this season and I'm very proud of them," Meyer said."Jan Serfontein is also still around and we've all seen how great he's been in the past number of seasons. The captain, though, has to be first choice and in the past few weeks we've also seen the need for experience in close games, which is what Jean brings."Jesse can also play at wing and click the fullback box as well. Damian can play inside and outside centre and can play at wing. I always said a World Cup squad must have versatile players and all of them are invaluable."sports@timesmedia.co.za..