Lack of game time will hamper Burger

How will Schalk Burger, with only 70 minutes of game time in the past 17 weeks, fight back for his place so adequately filled by Heinrich Brussow whose fetching has brought a new dimension to the Springbok's play?

Never a real fetcher, as admitted by World Cup winning coach Jake White who scoffed at the inclusion of a fetching loose forward, Burger has been such an important cog in the physical forward machine of South Africa.

After his eight-week suspension for eye-gouging in the second Test against the British and Irish Lions, Burger has now been included in the Bok squad for the Tri-Nations tour of Australasia - but has had only 70 minutes of rugby in the past four months since his injury against the Chiefs in Hamilton on May 2.

Brussow, on the other hand, is playing outstanding rugby. Overlooked by Springbok coach Peter de Villiers for the initial squad announced for the Lions series, he joined the Bok squad only four days before the first Lions Test.

The rest is a history in the fairytale mould. Brussow was highly rated by the Lions who found him a brilliant nuisance at the breakdown; lauded by All Blacks coach Graham Henry; and even before Saturday's Test against the Wallabies, praised by Wallaby coach Robbie Deans who said Brussow had brought a new dimension to the Bok's game which they didn't have before.

The young Free Stater has certainly put himself on the map, and did that by outplaying the world's two best fetchers in Richie McCaw and George Smith in successive weeks.

His playing to the ball probably has much to do with the fact that Pierre Spies is currently playing the best rugby of his career.

Burger was on the field for only 33 minutes against the Chiefs on May 2. He then missed the Stormers' last two matches against the Western Force (at Newlands) and the Cheetahs (in Bloemfontein) as well as the first Test against the Lions on June 20.

Burger then lasted less than two minutes before being yellow-carded for eye-gouging in the second Test against the Lions which led to his suspension - and he has not seen action since.

By the time the Boks play again, against the Wallabies in Perth on August 29, Burger will therefore have played 70 minutes of rugby in 17 weeks.

Of course, Burger will have trained during his suspension-forced lay-off, but as cricketers need time in the middle, so do rugby players need game time.

The great All Black, Dan Carter, has played club and provincial rugby after returning from injury, and his captain Richie McCaw also went that route.

Perhaps that is the way to go, despite Springbok coach Peter de Villiers' statement that form is temporary, class is forever.

The question is: how much form can Burger have? Even before his injury, his Super 14 campaign was not near his best and a Tri-Nations campaign is not the place to regain fitness and form.

The Springboks are now having a deserved break, having played six Tests in seven weeks (on eight Saturdays) since June 20 when they beat the Lions in Durban.

They will re-assemble on August 20 and leave for Australasia on August 24 for three very important matches in the Tri-nations on August with the first against Australia in Perth on August 29, followed by the Wallabies again, at Brisbane on September 5, and the All Blacks in Hamilton on September 12.

Of course, depending what the Wallabies and All Blacks do to one another in their match on August 22, Perth could be the clincher for the Boks who have built their success on some good forward performances and the kicking of Morne Steyn, who, out of a total of 88 points, has contributed 64 points in three Tri-nations matches .

Steyn's importance in the campaign is borne out by the fact the Boks have scored only four tries and also conceded four in their three matches to date (the All Blacks have scored three tries and conceded four and the Wallabies three while conceding two in two matches). - Sapa