Lions 2009 - Burger and Botha banned

Eurosport - Mon, 29 Jun 15:10:00 2009

South Africa flanker Schalk Burger has received an eight-week ban after being found guilty of gouging British and Irish Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald.

Schalk Burger - South Africa 2009 - 0

And Burger's Springboks team-mate Bakkies Botha is also out of the third Test at Ellis Park next Saturday after being suspended for two weeks following a dangerous charge on Lions prop Adam Jones.

Both incidents happened during South Africa's thrilling 28-25 victory over the Lions in Pretoria on Saturday.

Burger (pictured), who won his 50th cap and led South Africa on to the field, was yellow-carded by referee Christophe Berdos just 32 seconds into the game.

But match citing commissioner Steve Hinds then fingered him and Botha during the post-match 12-hour window, meaning an appearance before Canadian judicial officer Alan Hudson.

Burger is suspended until late August, meaning he will also be unavailable for the Springboks' first three Tri-Nations Tests, although he could feature in the final three.

The decision was announced just after 1am South Africa time, more than 13 hours after his hearing was scheduled to start.

Botha, meanwhile, will be absent until mid-July, but he will be available for South Africa's Tri-Nations opener against New Zealand in Bloemfontein late next month.

Lions head coach Ian McGeechan earlier voiced his displeasure over Burger's actions that left Ireland Grand Slam winner Fitzgerald requiring treatment to his eye before he was able to continue.

"I could never condone actions like that," said McGeechan. "I would hate to see those again. It should automatically be a red card, as I understand it."

PA Sport

Comment 110 - 129 of 149

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  1. British people may have been powerfull then when they­ owned half the world but now its a few tiny island with­ a bunch of wimps still clinging to the glory of there­ forefathers.SHAME

    From John, on Mon 29 Jun 3:13PM

  2. one good thing about south africa I DONT LIVE THERE­ !!!! THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!

    From bernie6969, on Mon 29 Jun 3:05PM
  3. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    reddog how far back do you want to go in History?­ I'm talking about now, and hey I didn't agree­ with the war in Iraq either but what thats got to do­ with this thread @#$% knows. Fact is UK is a much safer­ place than SA and has no where near the inherrent­ racism that is prevalent in your horrid­ country.We're talking about a modern
    phenomena go­ back 20 years and you could even share buses together ,­ so don't compare yourself with us biggot boy

    From FoeyP, on Mon 29 Jun 2:59PM

  4. Burger won't RELISH the ban,in fact he wil be a bit­ CHEESED off about it.I certainly know my ONIONS­ don't you think.He looks like a BENDER to me!

    From Perry Neeham, on Mon 29 Jun 2:57PM
  5. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    #119 - Afrikaner Scum......"The first­ concentration camp was put into­ practice by the­ English against the Boer" as you so clearly point­ out - have you so conveniently forgot about the­ Afrikaners who during WW2 sided with Hitler, yes the­ same man who was responsible for concentration camps­ during the war. You idiot.........

    From Michael, on Mon 29 Jun 2:57PM

  6. 126. Brits aren't whimps, or they weren't when­ we invaded you and kicked your boer @#$% all those­ years ago...

    From gary, on Mon 29 Jun 2:56PM

  7. Its typical of British people to make excuses,YOU LOST­ AGAIN you WHIMPS

    From John, on Mon 29 Jun 2:47PM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Post 101 - "Trouble" you HATE by your own­ admission, you are a racist @#$% get out of our country­ and fuc koff back to africa!!

    From bossbitch100, on Mon 29 Jun 2:45PM

  9. What is Schalk Burger doing in the Springbok Team?­ before the games starts, he had given way points, there­ are other players far better than him and as for­ Bakkies Botha, his aggressiveness is not sportsman like­ at all. The world is watching and they behave like­ hooligans during the game.

    From muggiepretorius, on Mon 29 Jun 2:44PM

  10. The sad thing is rugby is a game for thugs where every­ cheap shot is applauded by fans and coaches alike.

    From Dave P, on Mon 29 Jun 2:41PM

  11. 116, If you are going to use in text learn how to spell­ it "KAFFIR" the original meaning was­ unbeliever and it comes from Arabic during the slave­ trading days

    From alans, on Mon 29 Jun 2:41PM

  12. 116, If you are going to use in text learn how to spell­ it "KAFFIR" the original meaning was­ unbeliever and it comes from Arabic during the slave­ trading days

    From alans, on Mon 29 Jun 2:34PM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    114 Cry me a river, The bloody Lions are as bad if not­ worse at tackling late, punching in the scrum, guaging­ etc etc, they just were not seen this time, I agree­ play within the rules, but its very physical out there­ and tempers flare, as for guaging hell Burger was just­ giving the idiot a love tap

    From alans, on Mon 29 Jun 2:31PM

  14. hey foeyp, this is for you and your lover Trouble. If­ you want to talk about the past then please do not­ forget all the colonial movement started from the Uk­ and Europe. The British Empire has a lot to answer for.­ The concept and function of Apartheid, albeit put into­ practice by the 'Boer', was thought up by an­ Englishman. The first concentration camp was put into­ practise by the English against the Boer in the boer­ war where they starved woman and children to death. Do­ not forget how the English fought against the Zulus­ too, in Zululand. The Iraq war is a joke with thousands­ of poor innocent Iraq people put to death on a lie and­ Zimbabwe, a truth dictatorship disaster, the UK is no­ where to be seen. So before you try remove the grit­ from my eye, take the whole friggen Amazon Jungle out­ of your own eye. How dare you label people when you­ have so much to answer for. Lst the past be the past­ and work for a better future. Stop this hatred.

    From reddog, on Mon 29 Jun 2:29PM

  15. Had Jones gouged Burger, I wonder what the decision­ would have been.

    From The Xentertainer, on Mon 29 Jun 2:26PM

  16. Thuggery and violence has no place in sport,be the­ culprit white,black,or a mix of both
    a thug is a thug.­ If they were to behave in that manner outside the­ sporting field it would be deemed criminal.
    Dragon Dave

    From m.griffiths08, on Mon 29 Jun 2:26PM

  17. Kaffe's

    From The Xentertainer, on Mon 29 Jun 2:25PM

  18. 108, no boxers out of South Africa, You really need to­ brush up on your sports history.
    As for the Boks and­ the Lions, Its Rugby, all the boys are big and tough if­ you don,t believe it try and arm wrestle O'Driscol­ or Burger.
    Its been great having the lions in South­ Africa we Bok supporters have found them to be genuine­ guys with a good outlook whether winning or loosing, no­ body likes to loose more so than a bok supporter, so we­ know what its like, We will also beat the Lions in the­ third test, tahts a given

    From alans, on Mon 29 Jun 2:25PM

  19. Karrigost...you are spot on. I agree with every word.

    From The Xentertainer, on Mon 29 Jun 2:20PM

  20. I love the game of rugby,what happened to our Adam was­ cynical by the thug Botha,we tamed the S.A. front­ row.Botha knew exactly what he was doing. I dislocated­ my shoulder many times in the 70s so I feel for Adam­ jones. On the upside the opperation for recurrent­ dilocations seems much more succesful these days.As for­ Burger trying to "blind" one of our lads!­ well I'am still seething. If that crime was­ commited on the street there could be a jail term. Any­ respect that I had for South African rugby players has­ dissapeared.I have seen them play many times,but my­ hard earned cash will never again pay for a ticket to­ see these animals!

    From pajulu, on Mon 29 Jun 2:19PM
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