Schalk hopeful for January return
30 Nov 2006
Schalk Burger has been training with the Vodacom Stormers but will only be able to take contact in the new year.
The influential flanker suffered a career-threatening neck injury earlier this year and has endured a lengthy layoff after surgery. Reports on the Stormers website indicate that he may return for the pre-season friendlies ahead of the Vodacom Super 14 in January.
“We are very confident that he will be ready for the start of the Super 14,” said Greg Hechter, the team’s fitness and conditioning expert. “He will be seeing a specialist in another week or two and we will make sure he is happy.
“At this stage it seems he will be cleared to play in January, which will give us a month and two friendly games to get him confident.”
It was initially feared that he may never play again because of the nature of the injury, but Hechter has seen a vast improvement and if all goes well, he will tackle the Vodacom Bulls on 13 January for the first practice match. The Stormers then play Boland on 20 January and the Cheetahs on 3 February.
More good news is that recovering players who were ruled out of the recent domestic competition are likely to make a full return in these friendlies and obtain valuable game time.
“The way things look at this stage all the injured guys we’ve lost in the Currie Cup, such as Tonderai Chavhanga, Schalk Brits and Peter Grant, should be fit for the start of the Super 14 barring injuries from now on.
“Their rehabilitation is going really well. The same goes for Conrad Jantjes, who came from the Lions after a groin operation. His rehab program is going well and he is also joining the squad on Monday.”
The squad will also be boosted with the arrival of the Springboks next week after their final game against the World XV.
“Jean de Villiers will get an extra two weeks off before joining us for the training camp in George from 15 to 20 December. We will see how guys like Eddie [Andrews], De Wet [Barry], Selborne [Boome] and Gerrie [Britz] are, but by all accounts they have also been working hard,” said Hechter.
The Stormers have, however, suffered a slight setback with hospitalisation of scrumhalf Paul Delport, who has contracted a viral infection. He is currently in a stable condition after undergoing blood tests and will obtain a final diagnosis in the next few days.
229 Comments
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1 Dec 2006, 12:07 pm
big g
Slow day, today?
1 Dec 2006, 12:25 pm
if all these okes have recovered in time for the world cup and have played a bit and are in decent form …im telling you okes we have a good chance.
think about a team with Schalk , Butch , Ashwin , Bakkies all on form running hard without any problems….teams will kuk.
1 Dec 2006, 12:54 pm
You guys need Burger back badly.
I’d have him in my World XV – at 8. With McCaw and Collins.
1 Dec 2006, 12:59 pm
Rich – in 1992, Jason Leonard suffered a similar neck injury. There were fears for his career as well. Leonard ended up returning to international rugby four months later (after an the same op Burger has just had), didn’t even miss an England test in that time, and went on to play international rugby for another 12 years.
Now Burger might not be so lucky, but at least there is a precedent , therefor some hope.
1 Dec 2006, 13:01 pm
rich – so is it fair to presume that you don’t think much of Smit and White then??
1 Dec 2006, 13:02 pm
No Kiwi McCaw wouldnt make the team
with Burger around
ok McCaw at 8
$161# Spies is great at home but overseas he cant even tackle, i was very surprised how eak he was.
#172# Carla is Jakes wife
1 Dec 2006, 13:08 pm
gecko , the way schalk plays is 10 times the intensity that Leonard played , also schalk will not be used as a 5 min subsitute (in order to gain the most caps)…he’ll play a full 80min at 110% ….10 games that schalk plays = 100 Leonard caps….hence Leonards career spanned 12 yrs.
1 Dec 2006, 13:09 pm
Spies …. weak not eak
sage.. i think Smit is a lousy captain and hooker
but i like him as a person
as for White i wish that egghead would dissapear
gecko.. i personally feel Burger should retire from rugby, we miss hime like hell but his health is far more important than a sports game.
To me he was the best there is.
I used to get such a thrill watching him pulverise McCaw into the ground, he made McCaw look so average
1 Dec 2006, 13:14 pm
Schalk hopefull for January return???
What does Schalk wanna be doing with Enrico??
1 Dec 2006, 13:16 pm
Avid – I take your point, but Leonard was a prop – that’s a lot of strain on the neck. And he only became a bench-bunny the last few years of his career. But that is not the point, the point is Leonard played again – at all.
1 Dec 2006, 13:17 pm
i reckon the boks would have won 3 more games this year had schalk been playing….the oke has more energy than a local in Brixton on speed and redbull.
1 Dec 2006, 13:18 pm
rich – i agree, his health is more important. If his rugby career is over, I wish he returns to his first love – cricket. We need another Brian McMillan
1 Dec 2006, 13:23 pm
when Schalk played we lost to the ABs away by a few points and they looked pretty worried.
look what happens nowdays
1 Dec 2006, 13:24 pm
ja schalk would fit the Brain Mac mould….i can just see him in the slips and smashing the ball a long way , i reckon he could bat without a box , pads & helmet…thats how tough the oke is.
1 Dec 2006, 14:07 pm
my problem with White is not that he is a lousy coach, ofcourse he is
but that he is 2 Faced
a Compulsive Liar
and power mad
its his personality i cant stand
he is such a Fake
1 Dec 2006, 15:19 pm
Rich,
Been reading your horse **** comments for a while now but cant take it any more. To even contemplate that burger would remove McCaw from his preferred position proves how little you know. McCaw will be one of the greatest test captains of all times and while I also rate burger, hes not in the same league.
1 Dec 2006, 16:27 pm
schalk is good but he lacks a brain
1 Dec 2006, 22:27 pm
Kan wag op jou weer oppi veld te sien nie Schalla!!
1 Dec 2006, 22:28 pm
*Kan NIE wag……
1 Dec 2006, 23:00 pm
Schalk is actually an alien and will return unaffected by the “injury”. Good strategic move by Jake.
Jake is a genius.
2 Dec 2006, 02:49 am
#216# thanks for the insult you are such a toss
if you can get your grubby little hands on any tapes of past Bok AB games have a look how McCaw was neutralised by Schalk. Look with your own eyes and they wont lie to you.
McCaw was always subdued by Schalk every game they played.
McCaw spends the whole game offside and though he is a tough guy and gives his all, he will not get away with it in 2007. The ABs will play the the world cup with 14 players for at least 20 minutes. Now did i tell u where u can stick your attitude mate?????????????????/
2 Dec 2006, 06:32 am
No . 2 – jy kan n groot bol stront praat, schalk het richie se ore af gespeel… wag tot schalk weer op form is dan praat ons weer, en met die Stormers groep wat so lyk dink ek ons behoort baie goed te vaar… veral met al ons spelers wat terug keer van beserings af.
2 Dec 2006, 09:15 am
rich and no 2
Mind your manners boys, you are talking about a legend here.
2 Dec 2006, 09:44 am
Lots of promises but I don`t see any results . . .
2 Dec 2006, 14:48 pm
LoL an OFFSIDE Legend
2 Dec 2006, 22:13 pm
Basically to beat the AB’s the Boks must contest, and win at the breakdowns and tackle ball area.
This means selecting loose forwards who play on the edge,and even cheat sometimes, like McCaw.
3 Dec 2006, 10:36 am
Skulk is now sadly a permanent has-been while Richie is a rising star, getting better with each game.
3 Dec 2006, 15:28 pm
bokbfok
sumtimes??????????????
nooit everytime
3 Dec 2006, 22:17 pm
226
one would think White would get that by now
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