Burger displays all the class of a quarter-pounder
CLASS has been defined as the "self-knowledge, self-discipline and surefootedness that comes from having proved you can meet life".
Lack of class seems far easier to nail down and has nothing to so with social standing or monetary worth, but plenty to do with basic human interaction.
Lack of class is a woman failing to acknowledge that you've held a door open for her; someone masticating (the posh description for chewing loudly) next to you in the cinema; sneezing without attempting to stem the spray or -- most irritatingly -- saying "hang on, I've got another call" (I'll just wait here until you're ready then, even though you rang me).
Of course, lack of class is hard to detect by those who are already afflicted with it.
Cheryl Cole is currently the darling of Britain's pop culture-chewing masses -- the Geordie girl with the winning smile who came out of the projects and is now commonly referred to as "the nation's sweetheart" and "a beacon of light".
No mention of the fact that, in 2003, she was found guilty of assaulting a toilet attendant who was left in hospital with "significant damage" to her eye and unable to work for six weeks. And what was the fight about? Lollipops. Pure class, Cheryl.
There was a lack of class at Croke Park last Saturday after South Africa's Schalk Burger scored his try early on.
As the boos rang out, Burger stood up, impatiently shrugged off his team-mates and kicked the ball high into the Irish crowd in what was, unquestionably, a masked, sponsored-boot variation of the old two-fingered salute.
Rugby is a hard game and one where inflicting maximum pain on your opponent is the optimum outcome of every physical engagement. However, it is also a sport founded on a code of respect -- for the referee, for your opponent and for supporters.
At the 1995 World Cup in Ireland's opening pool game, Gary Halpin scored an early try against the All Blacks and, overcome by exultation, retreated from the New Zealand forwards with a finger on each hand pointed skywards.
The prop was a colourful character (a tongue-in-cheek explanation of firing imaginary six-guns was offered afterwards) and was caught up in the emotion of striking a blow against the most feared side in the world, but the All Blacks took grave offence and made the Irish suffer for Halpin's spontaneous act. But, unlike Halpin, Burger appeared to be acting on a pre-meditated and misplaced sense of grievance.
His ill-judged celebration was an act of disrespect in any instance, but especially so given the circumstances surrounding his last encounter with Irish rugby players.
The flanker's eye-attack on Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald during the Second Test in Pretoria last June was a blatant and cowardly act, while the fact he received a yellow rather than red card was a series-defining breakdown in officialdom. But it was the subsequent lack of repentance by player and coach that really rankled.
On Saturday, we had Burger's classless celebration, Andries Bekker's knee-drop on David Wallace and JP Pietersen's clothesline tackle on Tommy Bowe. And, following their 15-10 defeat, we got the Springboks' toys-out-of-the-pram complaints to the citing commissioner which justifiably elicited an angry response from the IRFU.
That ridiculous reaction added to the growing antagonism between the two rugby teams, which has been simmering since the tempestuous tour of 1998 when the Irish, though clearly outmatched, met the Springboks head on earning their hosts' ire on a "who do you think you are?" basis. Eleven years on and the bullies have become the bullied -- Saturday was Ireland's third victory in a row over South Africa and the 'Boks do not like it.
Class is demonstrated in the manner one deals with provocation and Ireland coach Declan Kidney showed his last March when refusing to respond to the taunts of Wales coach Warren Gatland, preferring to allow his players defend his honour on the pitch.
Under Kidney, Ireland have acquired a self-knowledge, self-discipline and surefootedness and are proving they have the class to mix it with the southern hemisphere heavyweights.
South Africa? Take your beating lads -- and grab a lollipop on your way out ...
Irish Independent
