Butch to add some chutzpah

17 Jul 2006

Sharks flyhalf Butch James leaves for New Zealand tonight to beef up the Bok’s options at No 10.

James was a favourite of White’s during the Super 12 of 2004, and only missed out on Springbok selection through a serious knee injury he obtained in the final game of that competition. James has nine national caps and last represented South Africa against England at Twickenham in 2002, the infamous 53-3 drubbing. He was asked to train with the squad ahead of the June Tests but did not feature in any of the three games.

At this stage, Meyer Bosman seems likely to replace Jaco Van Der Westhuyzen, but James can’t wait to get back on the park. Some players may irk at the thought of returning to a failing squad, but James remains optimistic.

“I admit that I was disappointed to see the Springboks doing so badly last Saturday,” he told keo.co.za. “But all I can do is go out there and give it my best shot.

“You can never turn down the oppotunity to play for your country, and so I look forward to playing against the All Blacks.”

Whether his team-mates look forward to facing New Zealand is another matter entirely, but James points out that Brisbane saw an off-day for the South Africans.

“They just didn’t click,” he said.

Another big topic of conversation has been the overuse of the rush defence, which was exploited well by the Wallabies.

“I think that when it was first introduced it worked well. But I’m not sure if everyone’s bought into it, and it’s the type of defence that everybody has to get right for it to work.

“The changes to the side may have also effected this structure, and perhaps a few of the players need to get to know each other better. Who knows, it may come right this week.”

The Aussies bounced back from the hammering they took against the All Blacks in Christchurch to beat the Boks 49-0. It is perhaps too great a leap of faith to believe that South Africa can do the same.

“The All Blacks are just as good defensively as they are on attack, but if we didn’t believe that we could beat them, then we wouldn’t play,” stresses James.

When he arrives at the Springbok camp in Wellington on Tuesday, hopefully he will find a group of players who believe the same thing.

By Jon Cardinelli


105 Comments

Pages: « 1 [2] 3 » Show All

  • 51.Quinnyshark: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 11:51 am

    If Jacoba vd Westhuysen is serious about being an international flyhalf he should think twice about plying his trade in Japan… They are not rated the 20th best team for nothing & the league is clearly not improving him as a player. I should imagine it is not too difficult to look handy there either. In fact, it seems to be more like a retirement paddock for ex-Aussie & Kiwi internationals……..
    Maybe Jake should mention this fact during the”heart-to-heart” he is planning to have with Jacoba?

  • 52.Stan: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:09 pm

    11.
    Vaak ******** jou ****** moer.

  • 53.The Rubber Chicken: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:13 pm

    Butch “yellow card” James??? Couldnt even stay out of trouble and on the field against WP.

    Also, with his reputation, whats going to happen when they Australasian press (and worse – the referees) get hold of him??

    He’s not the solution – then again, anything is better than Jaco was.

  • 54.Catfish: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:22 pm

    The King – u made my day. Hougaardt is a carthorse!!!!

    Good one.

  • 55.Sampioenman: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:23 pm

    Jaco is the worst fly half I have EVER seen play in the green and gold.

  • 56.Catfish: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:23 pm

    Stan #52

    Ditto!!!

  • 57.Sampioenman: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:26 pm

    Jaco is only the 3rd best flyhalf or fullback at bulls. He sucks.

  • 58.Quinnyshark: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:28 pm

    Maybe Jaco should skip the sushi & yen in Japan for the benefit of his career. Now that Hough is going to France, I think the Griffons may be looking for a new flyhalf…

  • 59.Catfish: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:28 pm

    Sampioenman

    Liefling sal Jacomina weer laat goed lyk as hy nou gekies word

  • 60.Drunkmonkey: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:29 pm

    I have said it before and i will say it again
    we need thePointmachine.

  • 61.Quinnyshark: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:30 pm

    Drunkmonkey, do you have posters of Hougaard on your bedroom wall? Cause it’s a little disturbing…

  • 62.jonny: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:33 pm

    Stick him straight in the run on side! Welcome back Butch

  • 63.Catfish: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:35 pm

    Drunkmonkey = Hougaard

  • 64.wild-africa: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:35 pm

    Has everybody lost the plot, Jaco should go but that should have happened a while back but to put Butch James in his place is rediculous, has he ever played a game and not get a yellow card!! I’ll put money on it, if he plays on sat SA will get a yellow card against us. Where is Pienaar, Watson, Visagie and the likes? Plus we should learn not to kick away all the posession, the little we have, these guys doesn’t have an ounce of confidence on attack ’cause they are told the forwards will win the game!!!

  • 65.Sage: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:36 pm

    Butch James is a rugby coward and a head case. And Jake wants him to dictate our game??

    Cowards bash into oppos with their shoulders and head pulled back out of the way. And even better when the player isn’t watching where the crude attack is coming from.

    Truth is, we don’t have a world class flyhalf at the moment.

  • 66.bokfan1: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:41 pm

    Eish, this is no good. Butch is no good – a walking yellow/red card as mentioned. But also, i agree anything is better than Jaco

  • 67.Zero: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:43 pm

    LMAO at (3)ALL BOKS!!!

  • 68.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:43 pm

    i say drunkmonkey does his name or her names justice lol

  • 69.Koos: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:53 pm

    wild-africa, none of them plays 10, whats your point?

  • 70.Drunkmonkey: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:54 pm

    ahahha

    kyk na paar games sal almal vra hoekom speel thepointmachine nie in springbok span nie.

  • 71.ruffle: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:56 pm

    play butch and habana at centre. that is where all the problems are.then bosman can play 10.

  • 72.all boks: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:59 pm

    Jaco = man van staal, “but i are dropkicking it ref, wiff my bionic leg, and i are using my bionic pentium 286 brain to direct our backline.”….

  • 73.Catfish: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 12:59 pm

    ruffle

    We only have a problem at inside centre.

  • 74.ruffle: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 13:02 pm

    then why haven’t we been breaking the line in all the other games???

  • 75.all boks: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 13:03 pm

    Catfish, no we dont our best inside centre is playing for th sharks, as is the best sh, lock.

    maak al die bulle bokke…..goetchie vir jou Jake as jy soveel bulle in jou span will sit kies dan darem die beste’s .

  • 76.ruffle: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 13:05 pm

    49-0 only a problem at inside centre.

  • 77.Catfish: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 13:09 pm

    Ruffle

    Like I said, nothing has been happening from 9 to 12. No oppertunities for the outside backs. We need a playmaker at 12 – like a Micheal du Plessis.

    All boks – Im refering to the plonker whose been playing at 12 so far.

  • 78.wild-africa: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 13:10 pm

    Koos, my point is Jake is not picking the best players we have, he’s plaing players with contracts, fair enough not to dish out springbok colours to anyone but 49-0 scoreline tells a different story. Players are not there on merit they are there of previous contracts and colour, sorry to say

  • 79.Catfish: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 13:12 pm

    Ruffle

    I was refering to ur comment about both the centres.

    We know that the problem is MUCH bigger than that!!

  • 80.ruffle: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 13:16 pm

    just teasing catfish. still think though that fourie is part oif the midfield problem.

  • 81.all boks: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 13:16 pm

    you know who i feel sorry for…

    i mean really feel sorry for…

    PIERE SPIES. LOL he thought our FH was playing so k@k that he started playing FH….LOL

  • 82.Catfish: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 13:19 pm

    all boks

    Bwahahaha…..good one.

  • 83.Catfish: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 13:24 pm

    Ruffle

    If JF only had the opp to play in a proper backline he’ll become one of the all time greats….

  • 84.van_mangs: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 13:34 pm

    Ja tipical suid-afrikaans.Speel n speler swak en n span veerloor dan is hulle almal k@k, afrigter en spelers. ek het nie gesien of gehoor dat iemand gekla het oor jw toe ons die tri nations gewen het nie in 2004 nie. Niemand het ooit gekla oor n inform jaco nie maar nou dat hy n paar af games gehad het almal iets te se.

    Wat die f@k kan jaco anyways doen as hy silke k’k balle kry van januarie af.

    Ja die verloor het seer gemaak maar ek dink n land en sy spelers soek ondersteuning in sulke tye eerder as n kruisiging.

    En dit van mense wat nie vir n moer beter sal kan doen nie

  • 85.Brickwall: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 13:40 pm

    This is my problem!!!!!!!!!

    JW keeps on picking out-of-form players. Butch is just another out of form player!!!

  • 86.big g: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 13:51 pm

    LOL #3!!!!!!!!!!!
    geeze i nearly wet my stringie… ha ha ha!!!!

    im so happy that butch is going, hesommer looks like and especially talks like a real rugby player!

  • 87.Stan: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 14:13 pm

    Butch the untrainable…
    Stop blaming everything on Jaco. Start with Januarie and have a careful look at Suster Montgomery.

  • 88.capebull: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 14:42 pm

    All that Butch will add is yellow cards

  • 89.all boks: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 15:14 pm

    87. Stan “….look ma no arms….” will still be better than Jaco “ek het tette vir hande…”

  • 90.all boks: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 15:23 pm

    arme Piere Spies, die beste FH op die veld wat nooit een was nie….

    lyk my Jaco se stem is so dun en moffie agtig omdat hulle sy bal hare uit trek en in sy kop in plant…..”…..is was a drop kick mr ref….”in n meisie stemmetjie ook nog….

    fo***it maar jy’s snaaks. Ek sou my stukkend gelag het was ek nie so de-moerin met hoe ons tot toe gespeel het nie.

    Ek hoop vragtig dis sy laaste wedstryd in n no .10 trui vir die Bokke, die een en nie nul beteken nie jy speel soos jy n een op jou nul het nie!!!!

  • 91.Viper6: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 15:38 pm

    Butch James is a positive addition to squad, but please don’t let me down and make me eat by words by getting sent off for reckless behaviour. Control your freaking temper and use your arms in the tackle, otherwise you are a good player :)

    Luke Watson should also be on the same plan as you…

  • 92.Viper6: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 15:39 pm

    And the reason that the rush defense is not working is because it was formulated around De Wet when he used to be a decent player. Now that he is gone the other guys don’t have a clue.

  • 93.fransv: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 15:42 pm

    I think the “dropkick” situation was one of the most embarrasing Springbok moments ever!! – & there have been many from Krige punching his teammate at twickenham to Kobus Wiese’s “Lomu is a ****!” rant in lockerroom celebrations in ’95.

    Get “pomped” guys but dont start being F**££en clowns!!

    So yes, Butch James is a step in the right direction.
    But just how much rugby has he played of late?? & when was he ever a matchwinner? – I think we need to compare him to Dan Carter, Larkham, Spencer, Wilkonson, & just about every other flyhalf in rugby to realise what we are selecting…

    What about Ruan Pienaar?
    Yes, it might not be his position of choice but the kid has more flair and smarts than Butch…

  • 94.Viper6: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 15:44 pm

    plan = plane

  • 95.big g: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 16:10 pm

    jaco suck

  • 96.big g: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 16:11 pm

    his boyfriend likes it…

  • 97.big g: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 16:11 pm

    and now jake is in kakkas (not the same as jaco’s boyfriend no…)

  • 98.big g: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 16:12 pm

    cause he picked jaco against better judgement… of everyone else…

  • 99.big g: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 16:13 pm

    and as the time draws near, with my butch i do not fear…

  • 100.big g: Reply to this comment
    17 Jul 2006, 16:14 pm

    cause 100 is all for big g…
    thank you

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