Burger wants Springbok jersey back

Burger wants Springbok jersey back

Having suffered a life-threatening infection which prolonged his time out of rugby Springbok loose forward Schalk Burger has playing international rugby again as the carrot to drive his future.

Burger has been out of the game for 18 months, initially with a knee injury but then with a serious issue when a cyst was detected on his spinal cord. In an initial operation to drain the cyst he suffered an infection which spread into his spinal cord which caused a form of meningitis and he went through a critical period over four or five days.

"It could have gone either way, I was battling for my life. From being perfectly healthy, four days later I was on my death bed," he told the IRB's Total Rugby podcast.

"I managed to pull through that one and obviously my wife and my Dad, they are the ones who should tell the story because they say I normally just brush it off like nothing happened.

"It was a scary reality check," he said.

Burger said his first concern was for his family and rugby wasn't an issue at that stage.

"Once I got through that I got better quite quickly and I managed to get myself back onto the rugby field in a couple of months."

Burger said whereas rugby had been at the core of his thinking and planning in the past, he had a different perspective now although he had always enjoyed his rugby he now realised how it could be taken away from you in a heartbeat.

While the peripheral issues around rugby, before his injury, were becoming tiresome, especially the public exposure, the enforced break from the game had only heightened his desire to get back amongst the action.

He said his main issue would be competing against himself.

"I know that if I am playing at the best of my abilities, there's no reason why I can't make a really good contribution to the Springboks and it is also going to be quite tough because people are going to keep comparing with before my 18-month layoff. It's a big challenge and I know there's a lot of hard work ahead.

"I'm a bit short on game time but I will make up for that with a bit of enthusiasm and passion," he said.

given meyers prefernce for some of the older superstars of recent past, it would take a brave man to bet against burger not playing for the Boks once more.

road still wont be easy for burger, some first class talent have been putting their hands up since his time away.

but a good season is ahead of him, and who knows, he might be one of the older stars who can make the Boks on merit, but that remains to be seen.

 Burger, Juan Smith and Matfield will be back for the Boks - the less said the better!!

i dont think juan smith will be, im 100% positive that burger will and as for matfield, im a little 50/50 on the matter, but meyers track record regarding the stars of a few years back says absolutely.

its a shame though cos the Boks dont need, but obviously meyer has zero faith in SAs rugby depth.

possible meyer 2015 RWC Bok incumbent team,,,

1 beast, 2 bizzy, 3 j du plessis

4 lady elizabeth, 5 v matfield

6 s burger, 7 f louw, 8 p spies

9 f du preez, 10 m steyn

12 JDV, 13 j foruie

11 b habana, 15 w le roux, 14 jp pieterson

16 a strauss, 17 g steenkamp, 18 c oosthuizen, 19 b botha, 20 d vermeulen, 21 r pienaar, 22 p lambie, 23 jj englebrechett

i feel sorry for the referee who has to officiate this teams tests, cos they will feel the wrath of the saffa fans by the truck load.

Well Juan Smith is starting every game for Toulon so chances are he will get the call - don't count against it

2saffex,

how is juan smith playing these days???

he was one of my fave saffa players of all time, and if his form warrants, i have to admit his selection would be one that would annoy me a lot less then some of the others who have been recalled back into the team.

He is playing solidly, no stand out performances - none of these old guys merit a return to the Bok set up. Bakkies was at best solid. The best of the old Boks was Joe v/Niekerk, but nothing special.

There were two Frenchmen in the Toulon side yesterday - madness....it was all SA, NZ, Oz and England

@saffex,

good to hear smith is playing solid, especially as when he was recovering it was looking unlikely he would even do that, he deserved the chance for some quick $$$.

"There were two Frenchmen in the Toulon side yesterday - madness....it was all SA, NZ, Oz and England"
this will hurt the frenchies in the long run, so many positions which could have been used for the french young up incoming players.

Exactly, especially when you consider the age of the likes of Carl Hayman, Sheridon, Castro, Bakkies, Ali Williams, Juan Smith, Joe v/Niekerk, Danie Roussouw, Wilkinson and Giteau in that side. Add Habana when he is over his injury.

 did Schalk have his surgery in SA? Seems afew issues lately with post operative complications with having surgery in SA! Remember that Brumbies player hit and run in SA died of postop complications. Maybe better to have surgery abroad.