Burger’s better than ever
16 Dec 2010
JON CARDINELLI, writing in SA Rugby magazine, says Schalk Burger has refined his game to become the complete loose forward.
‘My ribs are bladdy sore,’ Schalk Burger confided after the Currie Cup final press conference at Kings Park.
He shrugged when probed on the severity of the injury, and how it would affect his Grand Slam tour prospects. He wasn’t optimistic.
Thirty-three minutes into the first half, the immovable Burger had clashed with the irresistible Willem Alberts. As the Western Province captain struggled to his knees, he clutched his chest. His hand surveyed the damage while the asphyxiating pain confirmed the worst. Burger needed to make a call.
It was one of those defining moments where a player’s true character is revealed. Charl McLeod’s chip, Pat Lambie’s linebreak and Alberts’ bone-crunching hit on Burger would all go down in history as game-changing moments. Burger’s decision to play the remaining 47 minutes with a broken rib, however, would be career-defining. The decision encapsulated a commitment to not only his chosen team, but his chosen profession too.
Most players would have stayed down. The Sharks had raced to a 23-3 lead and were beating WP in all facets of the game. There was also the Grand Slam tour to consider. If Burger stayed down, the risk of further injury would diminish. The chances of featuring on that tour would improve.
Burger got up. Two minutes after his altercation with Alberts, he scored a try for the visitors. WP set up a drive from the lineout, and Burger took it upon himself to place the ball over the line. It was another painful decision that would result in a pile of bodies pressing his broken rib into the Kings Park turf, but it was a decision that led to seven points for his team right before half-time.
Pain for pleasure has always been an acceptable exchange as far as Burger’s concerned. The Bok flanker consistently concedes his pound of flesh for the South African cause. He set the standard for commitment in his breakout year, and at 27, he is South Africa’s benchmark yet again.
There have been countless tales about the cult figure aligned to Chuck Norris, stories that are rooted in fact and fiction. Burger doesn’t wear protective gear, and while his coaches brag about his high pain threshold they’re secretly afraid that he may push himself to the point of serious injury. When you pick Schalk Burger, you know what you’re getting, but you have to live with the fact that sooner or later he’s going to push himself too far.
His mortality was confirmed in 2006, when a neck injury sidelined him for the whole season. Since then, he’s struggled with incessant leg injuries as well as a few rib problems incurred through some overly robust play. Then there was the suspension for eye-gouging in the second Test against the British & Irish Lions that cast his reputation as a hard but fair player into doubt. It was an incident that would force him to alter his approach ahead of the 2010 season.
While he’s maintained that incurably abrasive attitude and a perseverance that sometimes borders on sadomasochism, Burger has refined his game. His perennial strengths have undoubtedly contributed to his standing as the Boks’ best player in the past season, but his improved decision-making and discipline has allowed him to evolve beyond the role of breakdown bully. The new and improved Burger is the complete loose forward.
‘I used to be pretty fiery as a youngster,’ he remembers with a smile, ‘but I’ve learnt to deal with the on-field pressure. It certainly is something that comes with experience, and the injuries and suspension last year also afforded me a lot of time to reflect. Something had to change. I’m happy to say that I’ve cut out the nonsense and concentrated on the rugby.’
It’s a simple statement laced with deeper meaning. Burger never gives much away during an interview, and his laid-back manner lends itself to the perception that he doesn’t take his rugby too seriously. But his feats between the four white lines challenge that perception, not least of all the decision to play on with a broken rib in the Currie Cup final. While his off-field persona used to be in direct contrast with the rabid beast hurling itself into the opposition every Saturday, Burger has started to apply some intelligence and temperament to his performances. His power now has a purpose.
‘In a Springbok team that wasn’t firing, he was outstanding this season,’ says Bok assistant coach Gary Gold. ‘Schalk falls into the category of a responsibility-taker. He hunts for the ball, he constantly looks for work to do. He’s always had a phenomenal work-rate, as I remember doing an analysis where he made 70 positive contributions in a match; that’s an incredible stat if you realise that the ball is only in play for 40 minutes.
‘But since he was awarded the Stormers captaincy at the beginning of the year, he’s been a better player. He’s really improved his discipline over the past 12 months.’
Gold recalls when Burger first arrived on the Test scene.
‘He had a tendency to push the boundaries and picked up the odd yellow card or two. He’s got better in recent years, and the Stormers captaincy has made a difference to the way he’s approached the game in 2010. You can see that he’s using all his experience when making the decision of when to push the boundary, and when to leave the ball alone. When you add all of those good decisions up, it’s not hard to understand why he was nominated as one of the [South African] players of the year.’
Burger’s journey back to his fearsome best and beyond has been gradual. He’d finished the 2009 season behind Heinrich Brüssow in the back-row pecking order, so he couldn’t afford to be complacent in the subsequent Super 14. Even when Brüssow was ruled out with a season-ending knee injury, Burger continued to gather momentum for what would be an unforgettable period. From the Stormers’ first tour match against the Western Force, Burger’s performances improved dramatically. He’s missed fewer tackles, made some momentum-shifting hits and boasted a gain line average of 90%. He also began to display some neat touches in other areas of his game; his linking play contributing largely to the Stormers’ new attacking brand.
‘Schalk’s an exceptional passer of the ball,’ notes Gold. ‘Teams still use him as the primary ball-carrier from the lineout, but his ability to make those sharp offloads once he hits the line makes him doubly dangerous. Some loose forwards are predictable in the way they tuck the ball under the arm, but Schalk will keep defenders guessing.
‘His improvement in this area is not as much down to the law change as it is to the way [Stormers/WP coach] Allister Coetzee and [WP senior professional coach] Rassie Erasmus have used him in that set-up. The law changes have played into Schalk’s hands, as attacking players who like to carry the ball have become more prominent. He’s made some fantastic contributions such as the Hail-Mary pass in the Currie Cup semi-final [which led to a try for Francois Louw] and even the offload from their signature lineout move culminated in a Bryan Habana try.’
Gold is referring to the law change which prescribes that the first defender makes the tackle before the second defender competes for possession. It’s necessitated a revision in roles for men like Burger, especially on defence. On attack, he can often be found in the wider channels where his underrated passing skills and sharpened decision-making are utilised to the team’s benefit.
‘The attacking side is favoured this season, so I’ve had more opportunities to have a go,’ Burger says. ‘I started working on my running lines and offloading a lot more in 2007, and it became a big feature of my game. I’ve played more of a linking role at the Stormers than at the Boks this year because my responsibilities differ and the game plans differ.’
Along with the Bulls, the Stormers were the quickest to adapt to the new law interpretations in the 2010 Super 14. Burger, Louw and Duane Vermeulen comprised the tournament’s form loose trio, blending traditional physicality with modern guile and innovation. Though Burger and Louw were called up to the national squad after the Super 14, the Bok pack was unable to replicate the feats of the Stormers. In fact, the Boks were badly beaten by the All Blacks and Wallabies in the forward exchanges.
Nevertheless, Burger’s performances in Australasia and during the home leg of the Tri-Nations commanded respect. The Boks finished the tournament in last place with team morale at a low, but when Burger returned to WP, his skills were again exploited to full effect. He captained the side to the domestic final, and while WP fared horribly in the decider, not enough credit was given to Burger in the aftermath.
There’s a perception that Burger’s not the player he once was. He was such a dominant force during the 2004 and 2005 Test seasons, but the neck injury of 2006 proved a big setback and some argued that he’d never again carry that game-changing clout.
While Burger plateaued in 2008 and failed to improve in 2009 due to a string of injuries and suspension, 2010 has been different. This was a year where he finally evolved to the point where he can offer the Boks various options should they ever embrace a multi-dimensional game.
And if he gets knocked down, he’ll get up and play on. He won’t make any outrageous public promises about dying on the field for the Springboks; he’d rather let his trademark physicality underscore a fierce pride and commitment to his team. What more could a coach, and indeed a rugby-mad country, ask for?
– This first appeared in the December issue of SA Rugby magazine.
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117 Comments
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16 Dec 2010, 06:44 am
Kocky is a Lion Dragon … Roar
Yes folks on my way to gym and just saw a headline … now I go and pump some serious iron.
16 Dec 2010, 06:59 am
yeah kockerott is back with the Lions…
16 Dec 2010, 08:28 am
for me schalk is a blind sider….and as such competes with Juan Smith and W Alberts for a bok spot. I would say that the opensider will be a battle between Brussow and a fit steggmann…..we must not judge steggies too harshly,he was coming back from a serious injiry, and lets not forget how well he did when playing for bulls in super 14…
8 man is also intersting, but although not a huge fan spies did damn well on eoyt.
all being fit and strong, i reckon its a Juan smith,brussel sprout and spies loose trio
16 Dec 2010, 08:49 am
Indeed Transformation,
now we are just waiting for the Beast, Bekker and Frans Steyn to sign their papers (that our expensive BEE lawyers have drawn up) and join the pride.
anyway RL out …
16 Dec 2010, 09:01 am
@grant10 : Spot on as always G10, I would like to see Alberts there as he brings some serious grunt. Difficult decision … just as it should be for Boks loosies.
Also agree on Stegmann, he played well in the Eng match and was back from 2months off.
Lets hope the Mngmnt keep that trio balance, I would go to the RWC with the Twickers pack.
16 Dec 2010, 09:02 am
@Redlion is doing pre-season conditioning : Bekker would be a massive signing, also would be great to see FS under Mitch/Carlos ..
16 Dec 2010, 09:02 am
Talk about over-hyped
16 Dec 2010, 09:05 am
@bananas : yeah….its about balance…
and with the boks scrummin beautifully the opensider and 8 man will come more and more into play on the front foot, not turbo reversing like before.
Boks can put a great pack into field….backs a huge concern though.
16 Dec 2010, 09:12 am
@grant10 – And how, the back are in as bad a shambles as under Streuli.
Considering we now have FdP,JdV, JF, Habs and FS all considered world class …
Will someone at SARU please use their brain and hire a decent backline coach ????? !!!
16 Dec 2010, 09:12 am
Skalk will be remembered as a legend.
my best memories of skalk go way back to 2004.
the opening away tri-tests. we lost both in the dying minutes…but the way he was gang tackling the entire kiwi pack with absolutely no regard for his own well-being was truely herculean.
as for 2011….I see him competing with J.Smith for a worldcup squad. Of course Snor will never see this.
16 Dec 2010, 09:22 am
Burger is a has-been and has been one for some time now, in fact, ever since his catastrophic injury.
This article is probably just to give some balance vis a vis the Watson articles i.e. keep in his good books as he is supposedly the Stormer’s ‘captain’(and how?).
16 Dec 2010, 09:26 am
Only one short coming in his armoury: Despite the odd occasion that he tackles some-one so hard that the ball pops out of his hands, he’s never instigated a turnover in his career. Staying on his feet and getting hands on ball at the breakdown, and if not stealing, at least slowing opposition ball, is not part of his skills. Thus, perfect blinsider. Hope Coetzee has the will to swich Schalla and Flo around
16 Dec 2010, 09:31 am
Schalla still the number one opensider in SA.the new interpretations suit him better than Brussow.the fact that we have loosies with the impact and commitment of Schalla, Smith and Alberts is excellent forbok rugby.
16 Dec 2010, 10:01 am
@Stiff-arm : not true my friend.
before schalks neck injury he regularly turned over opposition ball, in fact he won irb world player because of his impact.
he has not been a breakdown master like brussow for a long time now but he hits more rucks than most players, defo more than any other saffa.
with the new interpretations, schalla is once again in his element.
16 Dec 2010, 10:14 am
@stormer in a teacup :
The Bokke would be a good side if you had some decent backs.
16 Dec 2010, 10:32 am
If you talk to any of the senior guys in the Springbok setup, a fit Schalk is one of the “must-haves” in their team. They rate him extremely highly. The challenge to us viewing poublic is that he doesn’t fit into a “fetcher” or “runner” or “ruck player” mould exclusively, so it’s harder to define his primary role and therefore make a judgement on his play.
As had been said before, he’s a hybrid. And a damn good one too.
He’s been mentioned at 8 by a couple of SARU guys, but whether that happens remains to be seen. His play is reminiscent of a traditional 8. Strong ball carrying, good skills, not shy to get physical.
We have a few of those types of players mind you, Alberts also comes to mind.
The key as Grant said, is getting the combos right.
But I’d have him in my squad of 22 every day of the week.
16 Dec 2010, 10:45 am
I agree with this article. Burger has become complete. He is more than a break down collision, tackling demon. His off-loading game was immense during thr try nations and he was one of the top off-loaders this year, besides SA’s poor Triantions..
16 Dec 2010, 10:48 am
@grant10 : I agree in that Burger is a Blind sider, but his fitness levels make him well suited to open side. Plus until the the advent of Brussow, SA had no fetchers really. Stegman is not up to the challenge.. He is not very good. Srtegman showed that he is not international class. He gives away penalty after penalty.. POOR STEGMAN!!
16 Dec 2010, 10:50 am
yawning here. Is there no news about?
16 Dec 2010, 10:51 am
Somewhat over the top article, wouldn’t you say?
He was World Player of the year in 2004. He isn’t close to that now.
So it is impossible for him to be “better than ever”.
16 Dec 2010, 11:04 am
Wellington – The Rugby World Cup is already the highest-grossing event in New Zealand’s history, with more than nine months still to go before the tournament begins, organisers said Thursday.
Rugby NZ 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden said 864,000 tickets had been sold for the tournament, which will run from September 9 to October 23 next year, generating 166 million dollars (122.5 million US) in ticket revenue.
Snedden said plans to sell 1.45 million tickets were on track, eclipsing the nation’s previous highest grossing event, the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour, which netted 24 million dollars in revenue.
“We are on track to achieve the forecast total ticket sales revenue of 268 million dollars,” he told reporters in Christchurch.
Snedden said the ambitious targets were “always going to be a big leap into the unknown” but sales had been bolstered by strong international interest.
He said 85,000 overseas visitors were expected to travel to New Zealand for the tournament.
(So — those gloomy, jealous naysayers are all wrong, already!)
16 Dec 2010, 11:04 am
Flippit, the boks have plenty looseforwards to pick from. Pitty there is no brain to utilise them all correctly.
16 Dec 2010, 11:06 am
Whats that about a Kockerot?
16 Dec 2010, 11:16 am
The Stormers should play Louw at 6, Burger at 8 and Duane at 7.
16 Dec 2010, 11:19 am
@Redlion is doing pre-season conditioning : 1 – Yes just read that Rory is off to the Lions. I rate Rory and sure think Sharks made a mistake letting him go, but on union I don’t mind seeing him go to is the Lions. So all the best to Rory.
Sort of him going back home (well kinda rugby wise) cause he is from the Eastern Cape.
Hope he gets plenty starting time at the Lions.
16 Dec 2010, 11:19 am
@Puma : on = one
16 Dec 2010, 11:21 am
@passdidonnerseding : 23 – Rory has just signed with the Lions.
All the best to Rory, a great player and Lions made a good purchase. Pity Sharks never kept him. I have no idea how good Hoffman is that Sharks bought last year from Province. Cause Hoffman will be Sharks back up to McLeod.
16 Dec 2010, 12:08 pm
“with the irresistible Willem Alberts”
Is this an article from SA Rugby Magazine or Cosmopolitan?
16 Dec 2010, 12:35 pm
@TheTackler : Got tickets, got air tickets, got ski passes for Queenstown…. here we go!
16 Dec 2010, 12:36 pm
Well the broken rib explains the simple handoff Lambie used against him.
Definitely still room for him in the Bok setup but not sure he should be playing full 80 min games with the current squad we have.
16 Dec 2010, 12:48 pm
Read just picked up the NZ player of the year award, he will be in the running for world player of the year next year.
16 Dec 2010, 12:56 pm
Jeepers I just read the article again, Mills and Boon is calling Keo, ‘Schalk clutched his left bosom, crying in pain as he thought of the heartache, the years of struggle that had brought him to this moment, his time to make history’.
16 Dec 2010, 13:42 pm
@goyougoodthing2 :
Thirty-three minutes into the first half, the immovable Burger had clashed with the irresistible Willem Alberts. As the Western Province captain struggled to his knees, he clutched his chest. His hand surveyed the damage while the asphyxiating pain confirmed the worst. Burger needed to make a call.
Big time Bodice Ripper/Mills&******/Barbara Cartland stuff happening up above
16 Dec 2010, 13:47 pm
why the helll is cricket being played between #1 and 2 in the owrld being played at Supersport park.
where are the stadiums?
16 Dec 2010, 13:55 pm
@wallabie. : The stadiums are not big enough for proper cricket, except Moses in `durban which is not proper for rugby
16 Dec 2010, 13:55 pm
@wallabie. : the wanderers is in the dogbox i think as they were being naughty somehow.
cant remember the details.
sheesh, england are giving your lads a right proper rogering eh walla?
clarke didnt even have a chance to try and cheat again (and then make a sobby, soppy sad little apology for having the character of a weasel).
well thats how it looks from over here clarkie, over to you.
16 Dec 2010, 14:05 pm
@rangerman : The Gauteng Cricket Board accused IPL and Modi of being dishonest, which it seems they were.
16 Dec 2010, 14:18 pm
@rangerman :
Why do SAFFA’s have a fascination with cheating, you accuse everybody of doing it.
16 Dec 2010, 14:51 pm
@NZINCHINA : Because our lives are not as fast paced as New Zealand
I did not make this up:
Man goes on drunk ice-cream rampage
2010-12-16 14:08
Wellington -
A drunk New Zealander has admitted to hijacking a Mr Whippy van at knifepoint and hurling ice creams at passers-by during a vanilla and alcohol-fuelled rampage.
16 Dec 2010, 15:32 pm
@E.T. : Has been ? Haa haa. serious ? He is teh best flanker in SA by a country Mile. 2010 he changed the way he play and he was evens better. Be constructive and maybe give a reason then we might take u serious
16 Dec 2010, 15:36 pm
@TheTackler : Hopefully now you can upgrade your stadiums so that it looks better than Maties rugby field at least. I dont disputed the fact that NZ will host a great WC , just inconvenience for us Saffa’s re the time diffs. What will be a disappointing is if NZ gets knocked out in the quaters , then the WC will become boring for most folks that side but hopefully not a failure.
16 Dec 2010, 15:43 pm
@sparticus : if NZ do not win expect mass suicide. New Zealand will not recover.
16 Dec 2010, 18:11 pm
Off till the New Year now. Have a good Christmas and a happy New Year everyone and stay safe!
And remember, don’t drink and drive – “Papa wag vir jou”.
16 Dec 2010, 20:13 pm
I have seen Schalk takle teh ball up a lot. BUT most of teh time with a bad body position, nd not making any ground. I have seen him pass and link (his passing is OK) with the backline. BUT not a lot of offloading out of the tackle. So where does this “improved offloading” **** come from?
He tackles a LOT, but the nature of the game has changed to ATTACK. On attack,Schalk can be RELIED UPON to make a bad decision – take contact when there is an overlap, or pass when its a hospital pass. But then again, that is most of the Bok team…
16 Dec 2010, 21:19 pm
Burger ?
really really good player
really good.
But ‘Great’ ?
I dunno.
Answer me this – what’s his best position ?
blindside ? Probably, but J.Smith is infinitely better in that position.
openside ? Possibly, if brawn/mayhem is the order of the day. But Brussow is infinitely better in that position.
No8 ? Who knows, never really given the chance other than but parts. Every physical attribute screams yes, aside from poor hands at the ruck. Still better than Spies in that position.
He’s not the smartest guy in the shed and has loose fingers but he’s a really really good hybrid-loosie; well equipped for all trades, master of none.
Great guy to have a beer with tho !
16 Dec 2010, 21:38 pm
Great player. Legend.
16 Dec 2010, 22:22 pm
Over hyped is hardly the word, big song and dance about nothing, we way better off without him, same as with Smit and FdP, they only going to screw up the works when they come stick their over hyped spokes back in the bokkie wheel.
Leave em out, they not going to offer anything except problems.
16 Dec 2010, 22:34 pm
@sparticus :
He was just lots of youthful over-exuberant speed & energy when he burst on the scene crashing and banging into any opposition but with little skills and butter fingers/pumpkin hands and certainly no soft hands to execute or efficient brain to see a game unfold in front of him to influence or affect, thus all adding up to merely AVERAGE.
And it’s about time you put to rest that emotional car-park experience with your supe-duper hero which left you shaking at the knees for days thereafter. That is for children that stuff and you are supposedly an adult.
He has done NOTHING substantial since that 2006 injury and these days a barely 20yo rookie to a CC Final fly-half can swat him like a pesky little fly, as he darts his way over the try-line, handing off mesmerisingly the LUMP as he dots down under the poles for a CHEEKY try. Remember that ROOKIE, Pat Lambie?
16 Dec 2010, 22:38 pm
Dead certainties (unless injured or total loss of form during super 15)for the world cup 2011 starting team:
Burger, F du Preez, Smit (captain), Matfield, Juan Smith.
Nearly dead certainties:
Jaq Fourie, Habanna, Bakkies B, Morne Steyn, Beast M, Jean Div.
The other 4 positions are still more or less open.
16 Dec 2010, 22:42 pm
I forgot, no 8 Pierre Spies is also a dead certainty, so only 3 positions are still up for grabs.
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