Burger back for Boks

September 28, 2007

SCHALK Burger has been recalled to the South Africa team to face the United States in their final Pool A match on Sunday with Jake White naming a near-full strength line-up.

Burger, suspended for the games against England and Tonga, was named in an unaccustomed No.8 position in place of injured Danie Rossouw. Wickus van Heerden joins Juan Smith as the other back-rowers.

In the second row Albert van den Berg starts alongside Victor Matfield, with Bakkies Botha starting on the bench.

Akona Ndungane is given his first start of the tournament, on the right wing, with JP Pietersen dropping to the bench.

White rested many of his first-choice players against Tonga and nearly came unstuck as the islanders pushed the Springboks all the way before finally going down 30-25.

He had always intended to bring most of them back for Sunday's game in Montpellier, the last of the entire pool stage, to regain momentum for next weekend's Marseille quarter-final against Wales or Fiji.

Reuters