Fearless Jacques Burger carries a nation’s hopes

Jacques Burger is afraid of nothing. Completely fearless, he says. Then he remembers. “No, but I am afraid of things off the pitch, I promise you that. Oooh, snakes for instance. I don’t like snakes very much,” he says with a theatrical shudder.

“But on the pitch, nothing. Especially now my career is close to being done, I enjoy it so much, that physical battle between you and the other guy. The brave will stand up and if you’re not brave enough, you’ll fall away and get found out. I love that bit about it and I love the physical confrontation.”

His eyes seem to bulge happily; he’s almost salivating. Bring on a big black wall of the best players in the world and Burger will want to crash into them all. Time and again.