Hearing for Schalk Burger

2008-09-07 22:39

Stephen Nell

Cape Town - Four important weeks lie ahead for Western Province after they got their Currie Cup campaign on track again.

The SA Rugby Union on Sunday said that no date has yet been set for a disciplinary hearing for Schalk Burger. The Springbok star was sent off the field for a second offence in the 70th minute of Saturday's 35-17 win over the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

He was given a controversial yellow card after 30 minutes when he played an opponent in the air during a line-out.

In the second incident he was in trouble following a dangerous tackle on flanker Juan Smith.

"We have not yet set a date for the hearing, but it should be no later than Tuesday," Christo Ferreira, Saru's manager of legal affairs, said on Sunday.

WP's next match takes place on Saturday against the Falcons.

Western Province coach Allister Coetzee has said that he could still field his big guns, even though Rudy Joubert's (coach) Falcons lost by 14-83 against the Lions.

Maintain the momentum

"It's premature to say whether I will rest any players. I would like to see us maintain our momentum," said Coetzee.

"The players place very high value on the Currie Cup series. When and how I will rest players is something I'm still wrestling with in the back of my mind."

What Coetzee will also bear in mind is that earlier in the Currie Cup series his team went down 32-38 to the Falcons.

How on earth WP managed to do that, goodness only knows, but after that debacle in Brakpan they have more reason than any other side not to take any opponent lightly.

"It hurts every time I think about it again," said Coetzee about that defeat.

Meanwhile there is also unhappiness in the Western Province camp because Conrad Jantjes (fullback) wasn't allowed to return to the field after having been treated for a blood injury.

The timekeeper appeared not to want to allow WP to return Jantjes to the field. But WP feel that since Jantjes was off the field for only nine minutes he should have been allowed back.

While Joe Pietersen fared reasonably well as a replacement and scored an important try, it's the principle that is causing unhappiness. It will, therefore, come as no surprise if WP were to lodge a complaint with Saru.

- Die Burger