Stormers coach Allister Coetzee says he does not want to risk further injury to Schalk Burger, meaning his skipper will miss the start of Super Rugby.
Burger’s return from a serious knee injury was again delayed after being left out of the Stormers team to play the Bulls in Pretoria on Friday evening.
The Bok and Cape legend played just 20 minutes of rugby last year, and has been cutting a frustrated figure on the sidelines ever since. It seems he is now over the knee injury, but the much-anticipated comeback has been delayed by a calf muscle tear to the same leg.
No one can prove that the two are related, but it does seem an obvious connection, and this is the issue sounding the alarm bell for Coetzee.
“At this stage of the season I don’t want to risk it,” the coach told reporters.
The Stormers face the Bulls, Sharks and Chiefs in a tough opening stanza.
“We will leave it until after the Chiefs game, when we have our bye, before we reassess when Schalk may be ready to return,” Coetzee added.
I’m not sure whether Schalk will ever get back to being the player he was before the injuries started piling up. I hope not, but it could turn out to be the beginning of the end to a brilliant carrier.
Something similar to what Juan Smith has had to endure over the last couple of seasons.
It is all over bar the shouting for Schalk I fear! Was a great player but passed his sell by date ……….. Along with Heinrich B
Disagree! A player can make a sucsesfull return from a serious knee injury. Os du Randt is a perfect example of that.