Butch bombs, Meyer marches on

Butch bombs, Meyer marches on

14 Sep 2008

Springbok flyhalf Butch James had a nightmare for Bath while Heyneke Meyer can do no wrong with Leicester.

James missed four penalties and a conversion and had a kicked charged down which resulted in a try as Bath crashed to a 21-17 defeat to Gloucester.

James had earlier told The Guardian that the demands of the rugby schedule were having a seriously adverse effect on his game and this contributed to his decision to retire from international rugby after the Lions Tour in 2009. The match at The Rec was the flyhalf’s 34th of the season.

He went straight from a Super 14 campaign in 2007 into the mid-year Tests with the Springboks, then on to the Tri-Nations and the World Cup before joining Bath, where he played 16 matches in the season (it would have been more had he not been injured for a lengthy period). He returned to the Springboks just days after he played in Bath’s European Challenge Cup final and has played the bulk of the Tests in 2008. Burnout was inevitable.

“It’s not sustainable,” James said. “It’s pretty tough and I don’t think it’s advisable either. You’re going to break down somewhere along the line. There’s no way I could continue doing this. You can feel when it’s time and I think it’ll be time next July.”

He added: “There are a lot of guys at home [in South Africa] who started their Test careers very young and you can see how sore their bodies are.

“I don’t think there’s any way they’ll still be going into their early thirties. Someone like Schalk Burger really throws his body around in every single game. I don’t think he’s going to be able to play much beyond 28 if he wants to play with his kids one day.”

But while one South African was struggling to cope in England another was excelling. Heyneke Meyer maintained his perfect record with Leicester when they downed London Irish 24-22.

Despite the victory over a side who’ll have title ambitions, Meyer wasn’t pleased with the performance.

“There are a lot of areas that we need to improve. They pushed us very hard in midfield. We will need to work very hard in Monday. It was a win but there is still a very long way to go. We should have scored more tries.

“It will take time for us to adapt to the interpretation of the rules but that is no excuse – we should have dealt with that better. I will always take an ugly win over a pretty loss.”


46 Comments

  • 1.Shaggy: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 10:45 am

    nervous breakdown dragon

  • 2.Sniper: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 10:45 am

    Bombed Dragons

  • 3.Sniper: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 10:45 am

    # Shaggy: Beat me to it…

  • 4.Sniper: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 10:46 am

    I could see the downward spiral in his performance. He is not up to it lately and the best would be to retire. Grant is playing great rugby and would walk into his position right now…

  • 5.Shaggy: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 10:47 am

    and only just…

  • 6.wooden spoon: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 10:52 am

    Well done to Meyer, I hope he does well particularly as Leicester are my local side. But we shouldn’t forget that Leicester are a big club with good players and the club, fans and players expect to win – they should win 80% of their games in any event – in other words, how much of a challenge will it be for Meyer, and how far can we use his results as a yardstick for his abilities?

    I guess just seeing Leicester winning with a gameplan, sense of direction, purpose, tactical awareness and playing to their strengths will be better than some local candidates…

  • 7.Sniper: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 10:54 am

    #5 Shaggy: A miss is as good as a mile – you won…

  • 8.wazz: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 11:08 am

    must have been Butch’s pretty hair doo that mucked up his game, talk about 80′s rock

  • 9.SpringbokSarah: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 11:21 am

    Good! You didn’t wanna come back to SA now you can bomb every flipping match!

  • 10.springbokbefok: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 11:52 am

    If you have some games on tape, you should compare games played early in the season to later games
    It’s amazing the difference in players’ speed, aggression, etc
    They’re playing too much rugby these days

  • 11.Loosehead: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 12:25 pm

    #10 springbokbefok: You hear that all the time, but if the players played less, and were therefore paid less, they would say that they would rather play more and be paid more.

  • 12.springbokbefok: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 12:36 pm

    #11 Loosehead:

    Yeah that’s true :)
    There’s really no way around it

  • 13.BlueBlood: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 12:43 pm

    If fatigue is a problem, why are the Bokke playing in the CC?

  • 14.Wesley21: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 12:46 pm

    IF U PLAY SHITE LYK BUTCH DID 4 DA BOKS AND COST US DA TITLE THEN U MUST RETIRE B4 DA LIONS TOUR

  • 15.Wesley21: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 12:47 pm

    HE MIS ALOT OF PENALTIES AND THATS HES EXCUSE HES TIRED. THEN HE SHUDNT B PLAYIN

  • 16.Wesley21: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 12:57 pm

    the english just buy right left and center.excuse da pun.cnt they get anything done by themselves

  • 17.Loosehead: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 13:51 pm

    #14 Wesley21:
    #15 Wesley21: You ever tried the caps lock button?

  • 18.CoffeeshopBok;-): Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 14:36 pm

    #14 Wesley21:

    Just couldn’t ignore this one..so Butch cost us the Title then..would that be the tri-nations title..?

    Seriously dude :roll:

  • 19.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 15:01 pm

    #4 Sniper: he was man of the match last week, he’s just not a consistent goal-kicker, never has been. Bath should still have won this game.

  • 20.grootblousmile: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 16:30 pm

    I watched the Bath / Gloucester gam last night on our SS 1……. Butch bombed quite spectacularly…… his kicking to posts was aweful…… missed 3 sitters right in front of posts, not far out……… he’s clearly not focussed or there is serious fatigue… he was’nt a shadow of the Butch we knew before this season.

    It’s time to replace him now as Bokke pivot as well, bring the new blood through….. Butch has reached the end of his road.

  • 21.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 16:43 pm

    #20 grootblousmile: Disagree, he was motm last week and got 7 from 7 but he’s not a consistent goalkicker.

  • 22.Yetirat: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 16:49 pm

    Oohh knowing of Heyneke’s dreaded training sessions I really feel for the Leicester players on Monday…

  • 23.kiwinaaier: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 16:53 pm

    #17 Loosehead: or the spell checker??

  • 24.saru1983: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 18:06 pm

    heyneke meyer is a kak coach who specialises in dinosaur rugby.
    his only claim to fame is winning a second rate s14 with a star studded bulls team and even then it took habana to save his ***.

  • 25.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 18:20 pm

    #24 saru1983: Didn’t he win a couple of CC’s? anyway he’s 2 from 2 now, 4 from 4 if u count pre-season

  • 26.saru1983: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 18:23 pm

    It takes time for a new coach to have influence on a team.Dont worry he’ll **** up the rugby there very soon

  • 27.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 18:24 pm

    #26 saru1983: we’ll see, things are looking pretty positive so far and Caucau is on his way.

  • 28.carol meredith: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 18:26 pm

    #21 Big Hit: Hi Big hit, people choose to ignore his performance last week for some strange reason! Its much easier to hit someone when they are down!

    Wilko was on fire today I hear! Nice to have him back.

  • 29.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 18:27 pm

    #28 carol meredith: yeah he kicked 21 points and a drop goal. The fuss over Butch is too much based on one game, he’s never been more than a 3 out of 5 goalkicker over a period of games and Bath should’ve switched kickers and they’d have won the game.

  • 30.carol meredith: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 18:37 pm

    #29 Big Hit: Oh well. See what happens next week!
    Send Butch to the Bath Spa Pump Rooms and “take the water”. If that does not perk him up I don’t know what will!!

  • 31.LondonBul: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 18:45 pm

    #24 saru1983: When last did you watch the Bulls? When Meyer took over they were a joke, under him they won 3 CC, draw 1, came 2nd in another and of course the S14. They also scored the most tries in 2007 S14.

    Its fine if you don’t like the Bulls, but Meyer is definately not a kak coach

  • 32.Wesley21: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 19:01 pm

    BUTCH WAS **** IN THE TRI NATION . HES NT IN GITUE OR CARTERS CLASS. THE FACT IS HE JUST NT CONSISTENT ENUF AS A INTERNATIONAL FLYHALF

  • 33.LondonBul: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 19:04 pm

    #32 Wesley21: Got your spur burger yet?

  • 34.Wesley21: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 19:21 pm

    NA, I GOT THE RIBS SPECIAL UR LONDON BUL. U MUST B CRAMPED UP IN UR ONE ROOM LONDON FLAT HEY BUL…..i vote 4 francois steyn as flyhalf

  • 35.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 19:55 pm

    #32 Wesley21: Carter missed 21 points at Newlands. Its also worth noting that for all the kicks he missed, he created two tries for Bath yesterday.

  • 36.Wesley21: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 20:47 pm

    BUT FACT OF THE MATTER IS THE FRENCH ARE STIL GNA PAY LOADS OF MONEY 4 HIM. HES DA BEST IN THE WORLD SIMPLE AS THAT.

  • 37.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 20:50 pm

    #36 Wesley21: Hernandez is better.

  • 38.jb: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 21:16 pm

    erm, Butch, I gather someone else made you sign for Bath at erm….how much? And for the boks……… how much again? Sitting on the Sky panel warbling on about nothing…..how much?

  • 39.crowbar: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 21:55 pm

    #24 saru1983: Oh boy you are so out of touch, we will scrape the yellow stuff from your face very soon

  • 40.SA Barbarians: Reply to this comment
    14 Sep 2008, 22:05 pm

    #39 crowbar: His nick says it all…. :-)

  • 41.SodaJoe: Reply to this comment
    15 Sep 2008, 00:50 am

    Keo, Roy, et al – it would be pretty interesting to have the European Club tables up as well as SA and 3N.

  • 42.ratel: Reply to this comment
    15 Sep 2008, 08:29 am

    I’ve never heard Footballers (soccer players), NFL, Tennis or Golf players complain of fatigue.
    Hell, I hardly ever hear rugby players, other than South Africans, complain.
    btw, who forced him to play in England? He went there for the money, pure and simple.

  • 43.oubaas aka durbstormer: Reply to this comment
    15 Sep 2008, 11:05 am

    As weer iets oor Heneke Meyer moet ****…Bloody Hell!

  • 44.Tisme: Reply to this comment
    15 Sep 2008, 14:15 pm

    FFS just reading WESLEY21′s **** gives me a head ache!

  • 45.kaksioek: Reply to this comment
    15 Sep 2008, 19:10 pm

    I can only assume that the two digits at the end of Wesley21′s nick represent his age — if you reverse them.

  • 46.Bonedog: Reply to this comment
    18 Sep 2008, 17:37 pm

    We have never heard of any other countries players complaining cause SA players are the only ones at the moment of the SANZA teams that allow oversea based players to play for their countries & soccer players complain all the time about over playing. Do you know what length contract the sharks offered him before he decided to sign for bath… Ratel do some research before you comment…

Keo.co.za has always promoted uncensored views, but has never tolerated racist or crass outbursts. Come on guys and girls. If you can't moderate yourselves or each other then I am going to be forced to regulate the posts and enforce a registration process for comments. The choice is yours.

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