JAKE White says he would pick Schalk Burger before Heinrich Brussow. The former Bok coach was giving his opinion on the current team ahead of the Test against Australia in Perth.
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Burger is serving an eight-week suspension for reckless play, and in his absence the diminutive Brussow has performed superbly for the Boks.
But White, who coached Burger from 2002, when the flanker was 19, says that Brussow does not offer the same qualities.
“If you’re going to change a side you have to ask yourself whether it will improve the side,” White told The Times.
“In the case of Schalk Burger it most definitely will.
“I wouldn’t have picked Brussow, but I also have to admit he has done well. But Schalk is one of the best players in the world and he has been one of the best for the past five years. He hasn’t suddenly become a bad player,” White said.
“I put a premium on the lineout and Burger will win that battle hands down over Brussow. He jumps well and the most overlooked aspect is the lifting he does at the lineout.
“Though I don’t use the term ‘fetcher’, for lack of a better word, Burger is able to do that job as well.
“Perhaps with the team at such an advanced stage of its development it can afford the luxury of having a flank the size of Brussow, but when I was coaching we certainly didn’t have that luxury.”
Brussow is only 1.81m tall against Burger’s 1.96m. But the Free Stater has punched above his weight at the breakdown with both New Zealand’s Richie McCaw and Australia’s George Smith.
Both players are considered the best at the job and Brussow was able to make life uncomfortable for them.
But before recent matches against the Boks, McCaw and Smith agreed that South Africa would miss Burger’s physicality and while it never showed because Brussow was so effective, it indicates how highly rated Burger is by his peers.
“Schalk has been voted the best player in the world in the past, but would Brussow ever win that award? I doubt it,” White said. “It will be interesting to see if the coach selects him in Australia.
“It’s simply a question of ‘is he good enough or not?’ and if he isn’t, then why is he going on tour? Schalk has been selected to do a job and he should be allowed to do it.
“I’ve read reports that suggest Schalk might have to vie for a place with Juan Smith in the No7 shirt. If that’s the thinking, and I don’t know for sure that it is, then they’re mad.
“Why change something that isn’t broken? Schalk is an openside flank and Brussow is an openside flank and the choice must be between the two of them for the No 6 jersey.”
@Supa Die Bloubul – Sal lekker wees. Die lekkerste sal wees as WP weer 5de kom. Hopelik skop Earl die bal weer uit om dit te laat gebeur. 😀
@Supa Die Bloubul – Jy is verlief op Jano man. jy weet wie is die beste.
31@Ed_the_Lion –
Jaaaaaa! Het jy al gedink hoe gaan KP dan kerm??!!! heehehe
As WP weer die semi mis is dit hulle 8ste jaar in n ry wat hulle nie die finaal haal nie.
Die Leeus het darem die finaal nog onlangs gehaal.
@Supa Die Bloubul – Ek dink KP bekak homself. Jis ek sal lag. Ek hoop sommer Earl doen so breakdance terwyl hy smile vir die WP ondersteuners. bwahahaahahahaa. KP gaan my hard moer.
32@Ed_the_Lion –
Dink jy verwar my met een van jou ander vriende…hehe
34@Ed_the_Lion –
Imagine Earl moon vir KP en Explayer in die skare na hy uitskop!
@Supa Die Bloubul – Ek het nie ander vriende nie.. 😆
@Supa Die Bloubul – Ex sal dit baie like. Hy sal ‘n lekker semi klap net daar.
@Ed_the_Lion –
Ek wonder of Earl weer een van sy “fake” lynstane ingooie gaan gee Saterdag 😆
@Supa Die Bloubul – Ek vlieg terug SA toe en gaan mur hom persoonlik.
38@Ed_the_Lion –
Dan gaan KP vir Ex mo@r omdat hy n semi kry oor Earl!
Ed, ernstig. Wat maak Willem Stolz nog by die Lions? Is daar geen ander slotte nie?
@Supa Die Bloubul – Dan gaan KP vir Earl nog meer haat want hy gaan sê Earl het veroorsaak dat hulle baklei. Nee man, KP moet regkom. Party mense noem vir Earl KP. So hulle is naamgenote.
@Supa Die Bloubul – Vra jy Supa, Ek en my pa het vandag lank daaroor gepraat. Hy was nie eers goed toe hy jonk was nie. Daai ou het nog nooit ‘n goeie game rugby in sy lewe gespeel nie. Kan net sowel vir Ian MacDonald vra om te kom speel.
@Ed_the_Lion –
Dink regtig nie KP sal nog so n Earl Rose uitskop oorleef nie.
Hoekom noem hulle hom KP? Ek sou hom eerder PK genoem het.
44@Ed_the_Lion –
Ek weet ook nie.
Ian Mac sal darem die vlagmanne kan uitsort!
@Supa Die Bloubul –
Gaan jou pa kom blog?
@Supa Die Bloubul – Jy weet mos man. Hy is ‘n Capie. KP sal hom ‘n PK wil gee, maar nee KP sal dit nie weer oorleef nie. Dink daai man het in sinne gevloek daai dag.
Waas jy nou?
50!
Het hom!!
@Supa Die Bloubul – Ian sal die vlagmanne maklik uitsort. “weer” hehehe. Ek glo nie my pa sal kom blog nie. Hy sal dit nie kan vat as julle Bulle ons Leeus kak byt nie.
Geluk met jou 50 Supa.
53@Ed_the_Lion –
Dankie. Dis sommer niks. Ek steur my nie eintlik aan die simpel games nie.
@Supa Die Bloubul – bwahaaahhahahaahaha. Jy is op jou stukke vanaand.
@Ed_the_Lion –
Hoe gaan met die Hongaar?
@Supa Die Bloubul – Baie goed dankie. Sy kom nou nou kuier.
Ed,
So jy dink die Bulle gaan verloor? Ek hoop regtig jys verkeerd. Bulle moet wen! Ons gaan te ver agter raak as onsweer verloor.
@Supa Die Bloubul – Hoe gaan dit met jou vrou?
57@Ed_the_Lion –
Ek hoor sy vra na my so gereeld.
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