Burger aiming for new heights
DHL Stormers captain Schalk Burger wants his team to use their Vodacom Super Rugby clash with the Southern Kings at DHL Newlands on Saturday to raise their game ahead of the play-offs.
Whilst the final game of the regular season will have no impact at all on final placings, with the DHL Stormers assured of third seeding regardless of the result, Burger said that it will still be an important 80 minutes for his team as they seek to ensure that they are at their best in their home quarterfinal next weekend.
There has been a big focus in the DHL Stormers camp this week on gaining some meaningful momentum ahead of the knock-out phase of the competition, and Burger is intent on seeing his team lift their intensity following their successful tour of Australia which saw them claim two bonus-point wins.
“The focus is on us and how we can improve as a team. We have tried to put our best team on the park this weekend and we want to try and improve our style and understand why we are winning certain games by big enough margins.
“We are not going into the Kings game being complacent, the focus is on ourselves and how we can improve.
“We are not taking the Kings lightly, it is one of those games where you want to go out and play well, it is the last home league game for us before we start worrying about who we will face in the quarterfinal next week,” he said.
The seasoned Burger has been impressed with the strides the young DHL Stormers squad has made on and off the field this season, and said that the key will be to build on that as they head into the business-end of the tournament.
“We are improving bit by bit, it is not only on the rugby field, we are starting to understand the culture and what this team stands for. Therefore this weekend is quite important for us to go out there and play well, and play the way we want to.
“We are starting to understand why we are winning games and hopefully we can be even better this weekend.
“We have got a nice squad here and I think it is pretty important that certain guys are starting to take ownership of their positions,” he said.
With Burger nearing the end of his illustrious DHL Stormers career, he said he will enjoy the occasion as much as possible, but kept the focus firmly on the team and their goals.
“It is my last league games here for the DHL Stormers, and hopefully there are a few more to come. We have got a quarterfinal next week and then who knows what happens after that.
“I will definitely go out and enjoy, but please, it is not about me, it is about this generation of DHL Stormers players and how we can best improve,” he added.
Tickets for the Vodacom Super Rugby quarterfinal at DHL Newlands on Saturday, July 23 will go on sale at 12h00 on Monday, July 18 from Computicket and wprugby.computicket.com, and the stadium box office will open at 09h00 on Tuesday, July 19.
