De Villiers defends Burger

SOUTH AFRICA coach Peter de Villiers has launched an astonishing defence of banned flanker Schalk Burger, who gouged Ireland’s Luke Fitzgerald in Saturday’s second test.

“It is a contact sport and so is dancing. Guys who can’t take it, let’s go to the nearest ballet shop and get some tutus,” De Villiers said.

Five Lions players were taken to hospital following Saturday’s game, with Welsh duo Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones out of the third Test with a broken cheekbone and a dislocated shoulder respectively.

When he was asked if he thought the sport was becoming more violent De Villiers said: “If we are going to make it soft because we want a safe series and people don’t like it, I can’t do anything about it.”

Television footage showed Burger’s fingers making contact with Fitzgerald’s eye inside the first minute of the game in Pretoria.

“I have watched the television footage, and am still convinced that nothing he did was on purpose,” said De Villiers. “He is an honourable man – he never meant to go to anyone’s eye.”

The IRB says it is looking into the issue of eye-gouging after the incident involving Burger and another involving Italy captain Sergio Parisse, who was also banned for eight weeks for a similar offence during Saturday’s 27-6 defeat by New Zealand in Christchurch.

The IRB is awaiting the report from South Africa via their judicial officer Alan Hudson.

According to the IRB regulations, the recommended minimum sanction for “contact with the eye or eye area” is 12 weeks.

Meanwhile, former England hooker Brian Moore wants gouging bans to be increased.

“It’s been a publicised issue, bans have been handed out but people aren’t stopping doing it and if the bans aren’t working they have got to be longer,” Moore said.

“Rugby is a contact sport and you have to accept the risks but Burger gouged him, it was as simple as that.

“I don’t know how Bryce Lawrence, who was the referee in the first Test and had the best view of this incident of anyone in the world, could not understand that there is no other sanction other than a red card for gouging.”