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Burger citing a farce
Tuesday, September 11
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The citing of Schalk Burger, for a high tackle on Junior Polu of Samoa, is a farce.
Citing Commissioner Douglas Hunter (Scotland) has got this call completely wrong and the Springboks could pay the price of losing their star player ahead of the crunch match with England. Gareth Rosslee reports from Paris.
Under the tournament rules a Citing Commissioner may cite a player for any act or acts of illegal and/or Foul Play which in the opinion of the Commissioner warranted the player concerned being Ordered Off.
Burger's infringement - and that really is all that is was - was nowhere near a red card offence. If he is found guilty it would be a travesty of justice. The tackle occurred in the first half as Burger set off after an up-and-under. He was always going to struggle to get to the ball in time and he mistimed his leap into the air. As he came down he collected the Samoan scrumhalf with a high shot in the air.
The referee and the the touch judge saw the incident. On the advice of the touch judge, Lyndon Bray, the player received a warning and the Springboks were penalised. That was all there was to the incident.
Now - almost two days after the event - the Springbok has been cited. If it was a clear red-card offence it should have taken Mr Hunter a few minutes, maybe hours, to decide to cite Burger. Instead he has waited to cite the player on the day that the Springbok team is to be announced.
The opening line of the tournament rules on disciplinary regulations states that "the unique nature of the tournament requires disciplinary matters to be resolved expeditiously". There is simply no way that this matter has been resolved quickly.
In fact it could seriously hamper Springbok preparations.
We can only hope that the judiciary hearing sees sense where Mr Hunter of Scotland clearly could not.
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Vickery actually kicked out at someone - which is completely different, but I also don't think it was serious enough to force him out of Friday's game.
Think it would be a great pity for the IRB to ruin what promises to be a great contest over some pettiness.
How can they try to smear Schalkie like this when Brian Lima is sitting with Pretorius's head in his togbag?
Even IF they acquit Burger he'll be branded as a culprit. This is BS!
However, I believe he should have been awarded in a yellow card (not red) right there and then and the matter should have been left at that (same with Vickery).
Guys, c'mon... a high, swinging arm, in the air
How in G-d's name does this drunked Scot cite Burger, but not Lima?
Political bullcrap, plain and simple.
How ever the siting is a bit of a joke;
burger has always played the game in good spirit.
Go the BLACKs
Also it would be a travesty if Burger gets suspended, he just deserves a warning.
You guys are sooo one-eyed. You seem to be confusing Samoa's seriously aggressive legal tackling with this non-tackle, using a stiff arm, while opposite player was in the air. No real attempt to play the ball. Should have gone straight away. Think Lima would have been carded had he not been out for the count. Even the Bokke's sitting next to me in the ground agreed.
Anyways, if the bokke spindoctors are right you shouldn't need Burger to roll over England anyway.
Its all down to Honiss not having the balls to send him off in the first place.
However a one match ban would be taking it to far, just a warning and lets get on with it.
Stop talking about the game getting soft because there was nothing hard and manly about Burger's incident or Vickery's. They were both dirty cheap shots.
If you can't stand the heat..........
The Samoans came to injure and take our boys out. When we rough them up a little all hell breaks loose.
Shame!!!!!!!! I though this was a game for men.
Burger is innocent and will be acquited.
are always more than willing to cite us.
On a number of occassions i saw punches being thrown by the samoans on the side of the screen.
Springboks were bullied heavily in the first half of that "match" and most of our players had blood coming out of some part of their body. And yet we didn't cite any of them.
Seems like one rule for one team and one rule for another.
Why wont our journo's point out these obvious trangressions which are automatic suspensions as well?
All very well for Samoa to be aggrieved but why should their campaign not be impacted as well?
Schalk is out for 4 games!
Citing IS a farce.
What's up ed?
Details?
The pommies are going to wish they never did it, because the Boks are going to be more fired up now.
But the replacement is actually just as good, Wikus!!!
" Nou gaan julle pommies b@stards eers gemoer word"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/6988734.stm
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,11003-2007420437,00.html
Have your say too!!! Tel the f#@kers at IRB what you think at:
car@irb.com
Have your say too!!! Tel the f#@kers at IRB what you think at:
car@irb.com