Schalk Burger to captain Springboks against All Blacks

Burger will be the 55th player to captain South Africa in tests.

Schalk Burger will captain South Africa against New Zealand in Johannesburg this weekend, coach Heyneke Meyer announced Tuesday.

The All Blacks of New Zealand are aware of the challenge that a wounded Springboks side will pose to them in Saturday’s Rugby Championship encounter at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

“I think for our confidence it’s important that we go out and make a good marker, not only as a team, but as individuals as well”.

The last time the two teams met last year South Africa emerged victorious and another win would be the first time in six years they would enjoy back to back wins over the All Blacks.

All three of them were involved in the Super Rugby final, Aaron and Ben for the champion Highlanders and Conrad for the unfortunate Hurricanes, and have been resting on the sidelines for New Zealand’s Tests against Samoa and Argentina in the last fortnight.

“In World Cups we might get off to a good start or you could be under pressure where it is hard to close out a game”. However, one eye of both coaches is on the World Cup horizon.

“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”.

“Experience really does matter in the big games, knowing the conditions we will be facing and the hostility we will find at the ground”, Read added.

Driving-maul tries are a Springbok specialty with flanker Heinrich Brussow, recalled after four years in the Test wilderness, a regular scorer. So they will want to continue to do that.

“Injuries have forced our hand a bit”, Meyer said, realizing that his line about rotating players maybe won’t wash anymore.

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. The mighty All Blacks did not manage to win a series there until 1996.

“Is he premeditating that certain guys can play only 60 minutes?”

Burger, son of former Springbok Schalk Burger Sr, said he was proud of the opportunity to captain the team. The 48-year-old Cheika also confessed he knew “everything” was not going to flow in Australia’s first game with a “new shape and setup”.

But Meyer has faith in his “Bok babes”, saying: “I would not have selected them if I did not believe they can do the job”.