Burger will know by Thursday

Wednesday 12th September 2007

Star Springbok flank Schalk Burger will know on Thursday if his World Cup ban, for a dangerous tackle on Samoan scrum-half Junior Polu, will be reduced or expunged.

The South African team management on Wednesday appealed against what they termed a 'shocking and incomprehensible' four-match World Cup suspension handed down to Burger.

The appeal hearing will take place at 08.00 (06.00 GMT) on Thursday, 13 September, in Paris.

Burger was cited for a dangerous high tackle on the Samoan scrum-half, Polu, in the Boks' 59-7 win in their opening match in Paris at the weekend.

The flanker, who maintained he was contesting the ball in the air, caught Polu across the face with a forearm jolt as the Samoan No.9 jumped to catch a high ball in the first half of the match at the Parc des Princes.

Burger was penalised by New Zealand referee Paul Honiss, who deemed that no further sanction was required.

But the incident was picked up by citing commissioner Douglas Hunter and Burger appeared in front of a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday - which lasted more than four hours, before he was slapped with the four-match ban.

The judicial officer (JO), Terry Willis, upheld the citing complaint and determined that Burger breached Law 10.4(e) and committed a dangerous tackle on Polu.

Burger pleaded not guilty and alleged that contact occurred between Polu and himself as he attempted to win possession.

However, the JO determined that Burger executed a reckless and sloppy tackle that was high and dangerous whilst the opposing player was in the air and therefore in a vulnerable position.

While Bok coach Jake White has conceded that he will probably not have his player available for Friday's decisive Pool A match, he is hoping to have the burly flanker when the Boks enter the play-off stages next month.

If the ban stands the Bok No.6 will miss four World Cup matches - including Friday's vital Pool A game against England. The suspension also covers South Africa's remaining three group games against England, Tonga and the United States and a quarter-final match - assuming South Africa qualifies, against possibly Australia or Wales.

Burger was originally named in the matchday 22 for South Africa's crunch pool match against England, but it is expected that Wikus van Heerden will be handed the No.6 shirt when White confirms his starting XV later on Wednesday.

Bok team manager Zola Yeye also expressed his outrage at the ban.

"I can only say that, in the context of the match, this a shocking and incomprehensible sanction," Yeye told this website in an interview from the team's base in Paris.

"If you look at the match in context, you will see there were a number of very dangerous tackles.

"One in particular that stands out is that of [Samoa veteran] Brian Lima [on Springbok replacement André Pretorius]," Yeye said of a second-half incident in which Lima hit Pretorius high and late.

"Now if you look at that tackle [of Lima on Pretorius - which did not result in a citing], I can only say that this [the ban of Burger] is a shocking sanction."

When asked about the appeal, Yeye concluded: "[Yes], we are sitting down with the lawyer now and we are appealing the verdict and the sanction. Schalk [Burger] is a valuable player to us and we are determined to ensure he gets treated fairly."

By Jan de Koning www.planetrugby.com