Bok wrecking ball
20 Aug 2008
Schalk Burger is a rugby phenomenon, but what makes him the player he is?
In the latest issue of SA Rugby magazine, Jake White, Richie McCaw, Rudolf Straeuli, Derick Coetzee and Henning Gericke all offer unique insights into arguably the greatest Springbok of all-time by explaining exactly what sets him apart from the rest.
White, during a detailed discussion, reveals that Burger “averages 21 tackles per game – seven more than the average for an elite international flank. He’s got great ball skills, an unbelievable feel for the game in the sense that his running lines are so good that he gets into excellent positions long before the opposition even realise he’s there.”
McCaw says, “He just flies in [to the rucks]. Every time you play against him, he’s everywhere. His work rate is amazing.”
In a revealing Q&A, we also ask Schalk if opensiders are born or made, what he defines as failure, if he’s received offers from overseas clubs and if he misses having Jake around.
Also in the new issue of SAR:
– The Springbok scrum no longer strikes fear into their opponents. Former Springbok front rankers John Allan and Guy Kebble explain why
– BJ Botha was a shock omission from the Boks’ Tri-Nations squad, but the tighthead prop, who 
recently signed for ulster, believes he can force his way back
– Player depth remains a top priority but South Africa can no longer afford to neglect the development of local coaches. SA Rugby magazine investigates Saru’s plan to implement a new coaching programme in 2009
– The increased involvement of the TMO has been the most hotly debated point of this year’s Absa Currie Cup. SA Rugby magazine assesses the positives and negatives of the system
– Craven Week is supposed to be a festival of South African schoolboy rugby where winning isn’t a matter of life or death. but for a group of determined talent scouts, it’s merely an opportunity to snap up the next 
Frans Steyn or John Smit. SA Rugby magazine finds out how a respected talent scout goes about his job, and how others, with less integrity, will do almost anything to get that important signature
– At just 19, Robert Ebersohn has already lent the Free State Cheetahs backline some much needed attacking flair this season
– Last year, a disillusioned Gcobani Bobo was released by the Sharks to play for the Springbok Sevens team. Now he’s an automatic selection for the Stormers, captaining Western Province, back in the Bok set-up and revelling in his amazing change of fortune
– Former Springbok flyhalf Gerald Bosch has played a major role in the development of Wallabies utility back Berrick Barnes
– Outside centre has been an All Blacks weakness since Tana Umaga retired at the end of 2005. But the problem of who to play there has finally been solved by the emergence of Conrad Smith
– Andre Pretorius’s career has been plagued by leg injuries, especially during the last four years. The latest setback came when he played for the Boks against the Barbarians last year, limping off the Twickenham turf after 33 minutes with a crocked foot. The Lions flyhalf has not played in a match since, yet despite calls for him to retire, he believes he will have a big 2009 season
– SA Rugby magazine is on sale from Wednesday, 20 August. To subscribe, e-mail subscriptions@hsm.co.za or phone (021) 416-0141.
667 Comments
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20 Aug 2008, 16:32 pm
Bolt is just the ultimate!!!!!!!!!
20 Aug 2008, 16:32 pm
Did Usain Bolt win the 200m?
20 Aug 2008, 16:33 pm
#452 Brickwall: Don’t run into it!:
Yup!
20 Aug 2008, 16:33 pm
#435 palletoe: #451 K9_BaasPatrolliehond:
Nog n man van Nelspruit.
20 Aug 2008, 16:34 pm
#447 Richie_7:
What was his time?
20 Aug 2008, 16:34 pm
#450 justrugby: and Kanko will not be keen!
20 Aug 2008, 16:34 pm
#453 Richie_7: was a tight race though. He only won by 8 metres.
20 Aug 2008, 16:35 pm
#453 Richie_7:
a freek of nature! I really thought when Johnson ran 19.32 that it would never be broken.
20 Aug 2008, 16:36 pm
#457 ministerterrorlekota:
hahaha…..tight you say.
What was his time?
20 Aug 2008, 16:37 pm
Did anyone see what Bolt’s time was?
20 Aug 2008, 16:37 pm
#459 Brickwall: Don’t run into it!: 19.30.
20 Aug 2008, 16:37 pm
BOLT FOR BOK RIGHT WING!
20 Aug 2008, 16:37 pm
#446 puff: #446 puff:
As I said I rate him highly, I worry about his ability to stay injury free, I think he needs to pas the 2 year test, 1st year you make your mark, people notice you, 2nd year you are a marked man and opposistion know your strengths and weaknesses. If you overcome this and still produce the same level of performance you will go on to be great.
I hope for the likes of Brussow and Koster that they are able to accomplish this.
20 Aug 2008, 16:38 pm
#434 Objective 101:
I don’t know my man, this whole fetcher thing is now wide open.
I would go for Baywatch at # 6 and Schalla at # 8, Joe from the bench.
20 Aug 2008, 16:39 pm
Anyone check out that Paraguayan female javelin thrower? Ay caramba!
20 Aug 2008, 16:40 pm
#461 K9_BaasPatrolliehond:
Thanx bud.
20 Aug 2008, 16:40 pm
#454 Pietman: my hoofkantoot nou net hier ingestap van pta. sien later
20 Aug 2008, 16:40 pm
#458 Brickwall: Don’t run into it!: He is a freak of nature. 6’5″…….to see him run is like poetry in motion.
20 Aug 2008, 16:41 pm
#464 Pietman:
Or Luke from the bench for either # 6 or # 8.
20 Aug 2008, 16:42 pm
#467 palletoe:
Wat is jou ‘hoofkantoot’…jou skelmpie ?
20 Aug 2008, 16:44 pm
O hel daai foto vanYo-Yo gee my die nagmerries. Kan die man nie maar uittree nie asb.
20 Aug 2008, 16:45 pm
#468 K9_BaasPatrolliehond:
Indeed!
Michael Johnson was also a freek at the time. Difference is that Johnson did not look like an athlete, while Bolt is probably the perfect athlete. Built like a racehourse and apparently runs like one too.
20 Aug 2008, 16:45 pm
#469 Pietman:
Net as ek dink jy weet dalk iets van rugby af dan kom jy mett Luke toe voorskyn??!!!
20 Aug 2008, 16:45 pm
#450 justrugby: For all those who say Kanko is too tall for a fetcher, how tall is McCaw? He is a lineout option at times. A fetcher doesn’t have to be 5 foot and two tins tall necessarily, he has to be fast and a dog on the ground i.e a real groveller and intelligent enough to realise how far he can stretch the boundaries of the ref’s patience.
20 Aug 2008, 16:45 pm
#471 Staal:
Heh ?
20 Aug 2008, 16:46 pm
#473 Staal:
sorry spelling!
met Luke te voorskyn.
20 Aug 2008, 16:47 pm
#473 Staal: Usain Bolt is langer as Luke ……..sien sy gat stamp nie op die grond as hy hardloop nie
20 Aug 2008, 16:48 pm
aaag ek spot maaar net. niiks te ernstiggie.
20 Aug 2008, 16:48 pm
#441 David: Colon Dave. Almost a mandated personal quirk on this site.
20 Aug 2008, 16:48 pm
#473 Staal:
Ek noem hom maar, want hy is daar, en ons sal hom moet iewers gebruik.
Maar daai hakskeen hollerry van hom sal my altyd bybly, jy onthou daai een…waar hy lyk of hy op pad is na ‘long drop’ oppie plaas !
20 Aug 2008, 16:48 pm
#472 Brickwall: Don’t run into it!: Earlier this week Johnson said that Bolt’s not ready yet to break his record
20 Aug 2008, 16:49 pm
#477 K9_BaasPatrolliehond:
20 Aug 2008, 16:49 pm
#480 Pietman: Daars niks snaakser as Luke op vol spoed nie.
20 Aug 2008, 16:49 pm
#477 K9_BaasPatrolliehond:
Kan nie glo daai ou hol so vinnig nie, hy lyk nie so nie, met daai paar knopkniee…
20 Aug 2008, 16:50 pm
#480 Pietman: Ja, lyk of hy makeer-die-pas.
20 Aug 2008, 16:50 pm
#480 Pietman:
ja ek het my vrek gelag – diit was hond snaaks.
20 Aug 2008, 16:51 pm
#477 K9_BaasPatrolliehond: haha. luke se gat stamp so lekker want hy fetch so lekker. net jammer ons sien nooit die bal uitkom nie… miskien speel hy te lekker daar onder.
20 Aug 2008, 16:51 pm
#474 Objective 101:
No doubt, I posted a very similar comment yesterday.
The differnece is that Kanko is a very good No 8, which we currently are a bit short on, rather than retread him, let him play his preffered posistion and give as a bit of depth in the No8 posistion. We have options at 6, I personally believe Schalk can do the job, just needs to use a bit more savvy at the breakdown point.
20 Aug 2008, 16:53 pm
#484 Pietman: Daai hele Jamaican span is op iets !!!!!!!! LOL
20 Aug 2008, 16:57 pm
I don’t think McCaw’s nearly as tall as Burger, Smith, Spies or Kanko. And I think Kanko might well be the tallest out of all of them. Kanko would sooner play lock than openside flank. In fact, I think he has played lock before. He just doesn’t fit the phyisque of a stereotypical opensider. But then neither does Burger. Of course Burger brings his own unique qualities to the position. The likes of McCaw, George Smith, Waugh and Betsen get low and into rucks quickly in order to steal ball. But no-one clatters into a ruck quite like Burger!
20 Aug 2008, 16:57 pm
#489 justrugby: Sê vanmiddag vir my laaitie dat as hy ooit in Jamaica is en die laaities wil teen hom reisies hardloop vir geld moet onmiddelik nee sê.
20 Aug 2008, 16:57 pm
#489 justrugby:
Dis daai Rum, dink ek…Captain Morgan ?
20 Aug 2008, 16:59 pm
#492 Pietman:
Dit en biettjie van daai snaakse groen goed !!!
20 Aug 2008, 17:00 pm
#492 Pietman: rum and ganja china
20 Aug 2008, 17:01 pm
#491 K9_BaasPatrolliehond:
LOL,
20 Aug 2008, 17:03 pm
#494 ministerterrorlekota: #493 justrugby:
Hmmm, julle gee my nou idees hier, ek soek hoeka bietjie spoed…rum het ek, moet net daai ander goete bietjie gaan pluk.
20 Aug 2008, 17:03 pm
See you bloggers later, got to pop out !!!
20 Aug 2008, 17:04 pm
#496 Pietman: Daar is seker genoeg daarvan daar by julle?
20 Aug 2008, 17:05 pm
#496 Pietman: it’s a erb mawn. a armless erb.. from the soil, not fabricated.
20 Aug 2008, 17:05 pm
#497 justrugby:
Cheers, ek moet begin uitloer hier.
.#491 K9_BaasPatrolliehond:
Sien jou ook later, ou straatwoef.
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