Tough competitor: South African enforcer Schalk Burger is an opponent not easily forgotten, says Phil Waugh.

If Schalk Burger plays for the Springboks against the Wallabies on Saturday after being recalled from his club in Japan, Michael Hooper can expect a bruising encounter he will long remember, warns former Australian Test flanker Phil Waugh.

Waugh, who played against the barnstorming South African 23 times during his Test career, said: “Every time I played Schalk there were plenty of fists in the face both ways; but it was always a healthy competitiveness.

SMH

We always caught up after for a beer. It’ll be a great experience for ‘Hoops.’ He [Burger] is such a unique and great competitor.”

The Wallabies depart on Monday from Sydney for South Africa where they will play the Springboks in Cape Town on Saturday, and then travel to Mendoza in Argentina to take on the Pumas the next week. Burger, 31 and with 71 Test caps, was called up in readiness for Saturday’s Test from Suntory by Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer after backrower Francois Louw injured his neck in their 14-10 loss to the All Blacks in Wellington last Saturday week.

The Springboks, who also lost halfback Ruan Pienaar due to a knee injury in the same Test, have suffered backrow problems this season. Louw’s injury followed that of Willem Alberts just before their first Test against Argentina in Pretoria last month. Siya Kolisi was an option to replace Louw, but he too has been ruled out injured.

For Saturday’s Test against the Wallabies in Cape Town, Meyer could draw on the less experienced back row options of Warren Whitely and Teboho ‘Oupa’ Mohoje who toured with the Springboks on their recent tour of Australia and New Zealand. Or Meyer could go for Burger’s experience and notorious physicality that Waugh recalls as being “abrasive” and “brazen” and “infectious” for all his teammates.

Hooper, 22 and 184cm in height and 101kg in weight, has never played a Test against Burger – 10cm taller and 13kg heavier and whose last Test appearance was in the No.7 jersey in June at Port Elizabeth where South Africa beat Scotland 55-6. But the Wallabies captain is keen to play Burger. “I haven’t played against him in South Africa colours, so that’s cool for a backrow player like me,” he said.

“Their whole back row is massive [including flanker Marcell Coetzee and No.8 Duane Vermeulen]. Whoever they bring in will be well over a hundred ‘kegs’ and six foot.”

Waugh says Hooper’s smaller height and weight should not be a disadvantage to him because they are different types of backrowers.

Waugh should know. At 174cm, Waugh was far lower to the ground to Burger than Hooper is now. He also has the experience of having played against Burger in 12 Tests and 11 Super Rugby games.

“He is a very different player to Hooper,” Waugh said. “He is very much a running back rower really. He is very tough at the breakdown, but more [with] the clearing out rather than fetching on the ground. He is all about throwing the weight around at the breakdown, rather than strategically or tactically fetching the ball at the breakdown.

“He is very different to George [Smith], myself and Hooper. It is a huge call and step to come back from Japan to the Test arena … but that experience back in that team will assist them.”

Waugh’s advice to Hooper on how to get the better of Burger were the Wallabies captain to ask him would be simple.
“It’s with all the South Africans … you can’t take a backyard step,” Waugh said.

“You have to be at their throat, especially over there. If you give them room and space and they get a lot of momentum and then they get their tails up and away they go.”