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Habana deserves record - Burger

Loondon - South Africa wing Bryan Habana has another chance to become the all-time leading Rugby World Cup try-scorer on Saturday and the Springboks hope to create something special for him against New Zealand in their semi-final, flank Schalk Burger said.

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Habana, 32, scored against Samoa, Scotland and a hat-trick against the United States in the pool stage to join New Zealand's Jonah Lomu on 15 tries.

He spurned a great chance to break the record when he failed to grasp the ball with the tryline beckoning against the USA and had limited opportunities in the narrow quarter-final win over Wales.

"Hopefully, if we do our job we can get Bryan some space and he gets the record. He had a chance against America and fluffed that one, so hopefully he doesn't fluff the one on the weekend," Burger told reporters on Friday.

"If it happens in the game, I don't think we'll be thinking of the record, we'll be thinking we've scored against the All Blacks."

Habana, who made his Test debut in 2004 and is playing in his third World Cup, has 64 Test tries to his name, the same as Australian David Campese with only Japan's Daisuke Ohata having more with 69.

Burger said the Springbok poacher was likely to get at least one opportunity to reach a World Cup landmark on Saturday.

"Sure there will be opportunities, there always are when we play the All Blacks, so hope we can create something special for Bryan," Burger said.

"He has got the ability to score that 20 percent try, the one that comes out of nowhere, and he is due one so hope he scores one for us."


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