Burger to lead Boks against All Blacks

Following Schalk Burger’s appointment as interim captain on Tuesday, Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer says the player had always been one of his top candidates to lead the green and gold. The full team for the All Blacks clash will be announced on Wednesday.

“The World Cup is getting closer and for us we want to win as many games as possible and get a few momentum”.

The Ellis Park fixture between these two over the years has served up some fantastic rugby, with the 2013 edition labelled as one of the great games in recent times, and last year’s showdown providing late drama in the form of a Springbok win courtesy of the boot of Patrick Lambie.

The Wallabies fought back for the win, and in doing so gave the South Africans food for thought as they build towards the World Cup.

After Saturday they have home and away tests against Argentina before they travel to England where they are on a collision course with the All Blacks in the semi-finals of the World Cup.

New Zealand captain Richie McCaw will play for potentially the last time in what he considers the “ultimate” challenge of a Rugby Championship Test against South Africa at Ellis Park.

“Evern since I put on the Springbok jersey, my dream has been to represent my country with distinction and to make South Africans proud”.

The selection of Heinrich Brussow after four years out of the side has raised eyebrows, especially as he will be playing alongside another fetcher in Francois Louw.

“But we are mindful there is a World Cup at the end of the year and we have to select the right 31 players to go to that”.

Hansen has no love of the tactic, labelling the eight-man drives “bloody boring” and “illegal obstruction” and wants the law changed to permit collapsing them.

With Dan Carter instructed to stay in New Zealand, Beauden Barrett, Colin Slade and Sopoaga were chosen as the three first-fives for the 31-man travelling squad to South Africa.

The coach came under heavy fire for replacing impressive hooker Bismarck du Plessis and props Tendai “The Beast” Mtawarira and Jannie du Plessis midway through the second half in Australia.

Number 8 Read believes that his side are the best rugby team at the moment, but is expecting a hard atmosphere in Johannesburg for their encounter with the Boks.

Sky Sports’ Thinus Delport has warned there will be an intimidating atmosphere awaiting the All Blacks on Saturday.

“Our job is to bring to the table what we’ve got as the Springboks”.