Smiles all round

Lousy golf means great kicking from Burke

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Posted: Saturday November 06, 1999 06:50 PM

Matt Burke (center) credits his bad golf game with his tremendous performance in Australia's win over France. AP

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) -- Australian rugby fullback Matt Burke played a round of golf Thursday which was so wretched it put a big smile on his face.

"It was totally embarrassing, I'm not telling you the score," said Burke, who got his right boot swinging sweetly Saturday to kick 25 of Australia's points in the 35-12 Rugby World Cup final victory over France.

"I couldn't get the ball off the tee but it was great news. When I'm playing golf well I can't kick and when I'm playing bad the ball just sails over. The only problem with me at the moment is my golf game's up the creek."

Burke's seven penalties and two conversions gave him 101 points for the tournament, a point behind top scorer Gonzalo Quesada of Argentina.

"It doesn't matter to me, it's all about points for the team," Burke said.

He collected them in his typically calm manner Saturday, winning a duel with French flyhalf Christophe Lamaison.

For Burke, the victory rid him of the feeling from four years earlier when Australia lost a quarterfinal to England and was sent home a fortnight early.

"It's a completely different feeling," said Burke. "I remember flying into Perth from South Africa and we were in the Qantas Club and just seeing all our fans thinking `you've gutted us." We hurried out of there, we couldn't face them any longer."

Burke and his teammates lingered for the fans Saturday, taking the William Webb Ellis trophy that the team first won in 1991, on a slow lap of honor.

"That was for all the people who came and all those at home," said Burke. "You wouldn't believe the support we've had."

But before that he got to reacquaint himself with Queen Elizabeth II, freshly confirmed as Australia's head of state in a referendum Down Under earlier Saturday.

"It was the third or fourth time I've met her -- but I don't think she remembered my name," joked Burke.

He is one of a majority of Australian republicans in the rugby team, but the referendum result was about as important as a dodgy game of golf Saturday.

 

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