Is Schalk Burger the greatest Springbok of all time?

Cape Town - Following confirmation that Schalk Burger will quit English side Saracens and return to South Africa, praise has flowed for the blonde-haired loose forward.

None more so than from former London Irish, Western Province, Newcastle, Bath, Kobelco Steelers, Sharks, Worcester and now USA coach, Gary Gold.

Gold took to Twitter to write, "Absolutely not an emotive response! But I personally feel #SchalkBurger is the greatest modern day player of all time!!! He has so many incredible attributes as a person & as player, that surely he must be adorned as @Springboks greatest of all time!!! Bar None!!!

Lofty praise indeed for the 35-year-old 86-Test veteran.

Burger was a member of the 2007 Springbok Rugby World Cup-winning team and was twice named South African Rugby Player of the Year (in 2004 and 2011).

Burger also scooped the IRB Player of the Year award in 2004, one of only two South Africans to have done so (along with Bryan Habana in 2007).

Interpreting Gold's tweet, the 51-year-old - who also enjoyed a stint as Springbok assistant coach between 2008 and 2011 - believes Burger is not only the greatest modern day player (worldwide) of all time, but also the greatest of the 911 Springboks to have ever represented the country since 1891.

When factoring in both on-field and off-field attributes, who is YOUR greatest Springbok player of all time? Is it Burger? Perhaps South Africa's only double Rugby World Cup winner, Os du Randt? Or what about the most capped Springbok ever, Victor Matfield? BWAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA Oh my aching sides!   

Rooijackass couldn' t have been more wrong.

Every generation produces their own good players and one has to go back and see many top loosies through the years starting many years ago - Burger is in the top 5 of those - but he has strong competition in that regard because he had some limitations when it came to  some aspects of loosie play.    Burger was initially excellent - but after serious health problems  in 2012 he played no rugby before 2015 when he was a reputation selection.  

Matfield was a good line out jumper preferring to play as stand-in center.   His success in line-outs was not matched by the rest of  his Tight 5 performance requirement and there has been a large number of locks in Springbok history better than him.   

I would go for Danie Gerber.

Every generation produces their own good players and one has to go back and see many top loosies through the years starting many years ago - Burger is in the top 5 of those - but he has strong competition in that regard because he had some limitations when it came to  some aspects of loosie play.    Burger was initially excellent - but after serious health problems  in 2012 he played no rugby before 2015 when he was a reputation selection.  

Matfield was a good line out jumper preferring to play as stand-in center.   His success in line-outs was not matched by the rest of  his Tight 5 performance requirement and there has been a large number of locks in Springbok history better than him.   

I would go for Danie Gerber.

Toss up between Carel Dup and Habana...Danie gerber and Naas fighting for a close second.

Mozart

In essence I agree with you about the kind of thing as to the  best Springbok ever,    It is a silly suggestion - because there are variables in the game. that makes such a selection impossible,   

I think that Burger has ball sense and that is why he always seemed to know where he ball is going.    However, I think he through the years lost some pace after his neck injury and hos health problems in 2012 - so his effectiveness as a openside loosie ran out.     

For me yes. A truely great player i loved watching him play, tough and unrelenting a true great of the game and my favorite bok by a country mile

Wow Sader , thanks for that. 

My only criticism is he needed to watch McCaw more and learn how to join a ruck legally 

Merry Christmas...Enjoy the family time with the grandkid/s?