Back in the Bullring
25 Mar 2010
SA Rugby magazine finds out why Gary Botha returned to Pretoria after a stint with London Harlequins.
Gary Botha admits to feeling utterly dejected after the 2007 World Cup. He arrived at the tournament as John Smit’s hooking deputy, off the back of an outstanding season with the Bulls, and was justified in his expectation to play some role in the showpiece tournament in France.
However, the emergence of Bismarck du Plessis, coupled with an indifferent performance in a dirt trackers team against Tonga, seemed to seal his fate. He watched from the stands on that glorious October night at the Stade de France, with Du Plessis preferred as Smit’s back-up.
‘I won’t lie and tell you that it never hurt. It did. A lot,’ he concedes. ‘When you have goals and expectations that aren’t met, naturally you’re disappointed. But the team’s cause was bigger and more important than any personal agendas. Moping around the place wasn’t going to serve anyone.
‘There was a lot said about me accepting the deal from Harlequins because I felt unvalued. That’s garbage. I was 25 years old and wanted to experience playing abroad at a young age and not use it as a retirement package. I needed a new challenge and Harlequins offered me that.
‘Now I’m back because I felt it was time to move on to the next phase of my career. I watched the Bulls last year and was damn proud of them. Now I want to be part of something special with the Bulls.’
Botha’s team ethos was no doubt a contributing factor in Bulls coach Frans Ludeke’s decision to approach him to return to the union he has represented since the age of 12. The reasons for luring him back to Loftus would have been his all-round proficiency – given that he is equally adept in tight encounters as he is when the game opens up. When you consider that he is also familiar with the Bulls’ playing structures and is friends with many of the senior players, it becomes clear that he was an obvious choice to bolster the squad.
‘I loved every minute at Harlequins and I have absolutely no regrets about my time there. I grew technically and matured a lot in a personal sense. But it was time to come home to the place I love and the rugby I know,’ he says. ‘Frans sold me when he told me that he wanted me to play a part in their attempt to defend the Super 14 title. I thrive on those sorts of challenges.
‘I was also really starting to miss my family and friends, even though I made some top mates in England, and having the likes of Wikus van Heerden and Derick Hougaard [both Saracens] around helped a lot. So it was a simple decision in the end.
‘I’m here because I believe in the Bulls’ cause and I believe we can become the first South African side to defend the Super 14 trophy. I’m not naive; I know it will be extremely hard to win back-to-back titles because everyone is gunning for the champs. But if we can look back at the end of the campaign and say that we passed a test [defending their title] that only some Blues and Crusaders players can say they have, it would be special.’
Botha explains that the added demands on tight forwards in the northern hemisphere have refined that facet of his play, particularly his set-phase work.
‘People must make up their own minds after watching me, but I’d like to think I’ve returned a more rounded player,’ he says. ‘Our backs can teach the northern hemisphere boys a thing or two, but as far as forward play goes, there’s no better education.
‘But I haven’t come here as a big know-it-all who is going to sit the Bulls’ forwards down and school them in the art of forward play. That would be arrogant. I’ll offer what I can to help improve aspects of our play, but at the Bulls we learn as a collective.
‘It’s about growing as a unit, not one guy wagging his finger at the rest and telling them where they must improve. I’m here to add value, and hopefully my experience playing abroad will help in that regard.’
Botha is one of the first premier South African players to return home ahead of the 2011 World Cup, and is forthright when asked about his international ambitions.
‘I want to play for the Springboks again,’ he says. ‘I don’t hold grudges and so it’s not about proving a point to anyone. I simply love the feeling of pulling on that Springbok jersey and representing my country. I want to know what that feels like again.’
Botha, however, returns to find the route back from the international wilderness obstructed by a number of talented twos. He’ll have to negotiate the challenge of incumbent Springbok deputy Chiliboy Ralepelle, and Bandise Maku, highly rated by Springbok coach Peter de Villiers, at the Bulls.
If Botha passes that Test there’ll be further competition from the likes of Adriaan Strauss and Tiaan Liebenberg before he puts himself in line to challenge Du Plessis, who in 2009 established himself as one of the planet’s pre-eminent hookers.
‘I love a dog fight,’ Botha says purposefully. ‘It brings out the best in me and I’m sure the same is true for the other hookers in South Africa who have ambitions of playing for the Boks. My focus is entirely with the Bulls at the moment, but if I do well there perhaps I’ll get an opportunity to show that I can still play at the highest level. It’ll be very hard because there are some exceptional hookers in South Africa. But the saying is true – nothing in life worth having is easy to get.’
By Ryan Vrede
– This article first appeared in SA Rugby magazine
46 Comments
25 Mar 2010, 08:57 am
i rate this oke…matured a lot and has made bulls front row a real force afetr seen as a weak point
25 Mar 2010, 08:58 am
2 nd or 3 rd best hooker in sa….
bissy….liebenberg and gary B….
25 Mar 2010, 09:02 am
“Frans sold me…”
Ryan I am sure he told him… not sold him!
25 Mar 2010, 09:06 am
Is it just me…. but I think that Bissie is such a chop! Bloody good player, but always involved in a tussle off the ball…. if there was ever a need for a player to mature Bissie is it!
25 Mar 2010, 09:08 am
Anyway glad he is back for the bulls, PdV will not give him a look in to the Bok team…. ever!
25 Mar 2010, 09:08 am
“Botha is one of the first premier South African players to return home ahead of the 2011 World Cup ahead of the 2011 World Cup,”
YOU MUST BE JOKING!
25 Mar 2010, 09:12 am
@Tisme: spot on
25 Mar 2010, 09:24 am
@vanhunks: Same with Kocket…. now he has a serious bout of short-man-syndrome!
25 Mar 2010, 09:28 am
Gary Botha is such a humble player and a great roll model for the kids.
Down to earth and knows his place.
Really adds a lot to the Bulls and together with Heyneke I believe they were responsible for the turn around of the Bulls front row this year.
Gary hope you’ll be around for some time at the Bulls.
Good luck.
25 Mar 2010, 09:32 am
@Tisme: Read the sentence again – ”sold” is correct.
25 Mar 2010, 09:37 am
@Simon: My appologies Ryan, Simon
25 Mar 2010, 09:49 am
Simon,
Have not received the last 2 copies of my subscription…
Whats happening dude?
25 Mar 2010, 09:51 am
I am glad Gary is back at die Bulle. Goeie speler. Good move by him to come back and by the Bulls to take him back.
25 Mar 2010, 09:52 am
@Simon:
Can I buy YOU a cup of coffee?
25 Mar 2010, 09:52 am
blouste…you know him personally?
I heard he is quite a chop…..refering to himself as “springbok hooker” “do you know who I am”…just some observation I heard from reliable source!
Any way…we go better players to hold tackle bags…so gary can enjoy the bulls thing but is not a bok!
25 Mar 2010, 09:58 am
@Hoops:
No I don’t but from what I’ve seen I stand by my point…
Name me an incident wich proves me wrong…
And disclose your reliable source, because no offence but normally when someone says that it’s a lot of drivel….
25 Mar 2010, 10:04 am
@Dawn:
When you do, get him to sort out my subsciption as-well please!
25 Mar 2010, 10:04 am
Bok no. 2′s in terms of real value to the boks:
1) Smit
2) Bismarck
3) Chiliboy (strategic political value)
4) Bandise (better player than Chili)
5) Strauss
6) Liebenberg
7) Botha
In terms of real skill:
1) Bismarck
2) Strauss
3) Smit
4) Liebenberg
5) Botha
6) Bandise (needs more game time)
7) Chili (the dude is always injured)
25 Mar 2010, 10:05 am
Dawn
If you’re buying..
25 Mar 2010, 10:09 am
ag, gary botha wasnt in the wc final because js and biz were better players.
this after js was viciously pilloried by all and sundry and then our scrum fell apart when he was injured.
now he is back, hoping for a wc ticket but tiaan liebenberg has put his hand up, biz is going nowhere and js will probably revert to hooker if bj is back i time.
hmmmmm……maybe injuries will give him a look in?
that said, welcome home gary, great to have another quality player plying his trade in front of SOUTH AFRICAN crowds!
25 Mar 2010, 10:09 am
@PissAnt: E-mail tamlyn@hsm.co.za and CC kara@hsm.co.za
25 Mar 2010, 10:10 am
@Dawn: I actually hate coffee… (and tea)
25 Mar 2010, 10:12 am
@Vundu: ja, i forgot adriaan strauss.
chili is not going to be on the bus imo. bandise will maybe feature 2015.
but if you think strauss is more skilful than barney mate, i must disagree.
go back and watch adriaans face after every scrum vs the sharks. the poor oke looked sore as smitty was putting the hurt on.
25 Mar 2010, 10:14 am
Looks like a milkshake then for Simon..
25 Mar 2010, 10:16 am
@Simon:
Oh come on.
What’s your poison.
And where are we meeting.
25 Mar 2010, 10:30 am
@rangerman: I agree, JS and Bis were the best 2 at the time. I’ve never been a huge Gary Botha fan, but he has definitely returned as a more matured player. His scrummaging experience in the Northern Hemisphere is noticeable – Guthro is doing better in the scrums and I’m sure Gary played a huge part in that.At this stage I think Adriaan Strauss is rated higher than Botha by the Springbok coaches: it is however a healthy situation, with so many good hookers around, e.g Tiaan Liebenberg and the others mentioned above.
25 Mar 2010, 10:36 am
Nice article, seems Gary Botha has learnt much from being in the UK. Good on you, Mr. Botha.
25 Mar 2010, 10:39 am
@PissAnt:
Those two e-mail addies he gave you belong to the fire-breathing dragons who guard the entrance to the Monarchs’ lair.
25 Mar 2010, 10:58 am
@Tisme: Dont be so sure. PDV values input from his senior players in selection decisions. Barney, Vic, FdP. Dont be surprised of they sway him to give GB a look-in at the World Cup squad, backed up by some good performances ofcourse.
25 Mar 2010, 12:04 pm
Bissie is a chop and not worth the penalties he gives away, he’s going to cost you 6 points in a normal match, I’d play Smit, Liebenberg and Strauss ahead of him, he needs to grow up he’s like a frustrated immature 16 year old in a big *** 24 year olds body.
25 Mar 2010, 13:28 pm
Botha wont be selected for RWC 2011, Biz will, but Biz will be banned in the first game and Botha will have to fly out.
25 Mar 2010, 13:31 pm
Liebenberg best Hooker in country by country mile
Smit, Biz, Botha all should follow in line
Maku should be fast tracked to advance to front rank. Nothing wrong with Maku’s abilities both in tight and loose. Probably far better than Botha any day of any week.
25 Mar 2010, 13:39 pm
Blouste
A travel agent I know who does the bookings for flights……
He asked her if she knows who he is and who she is talking to?? and then stated in big bravado that he is a springok hooker!!! So WTF?
In my opinion the rank for hooker is Tiaan, JS, Biz, Deon Fourie, Strauss, Maku then Gary!
25 Mar 2010, 13:42 pm
I also heard and this is drivel…that Gary moered AP after the tonga game because that effectively ended GB’s WC!!
Scource knows Andre Pretorius very well!
25 Mar 2010, 14:05 pm
Gary Botha has the Sharks to thank for his rise to fame.
It was in 2003 that he played S12 with the Sharks and made his name whilst the Bulls preferred Dinosaur Danie Coetzee.
25 Mar 2010, 14:21 pm
Oh hier kom skopskiet en sy pro-WP comments. Nothing new
25 Mar 2010, 14:32 pm
@Hoops: Wasnt that in Percy’s book?
25 Mar 2010, 14:37 pm
@Hoops:
He he he, that’s funny.
Maybe I should read old Percy’s book then…
25 Mar 2010, 14:41 pm
If it was in the book, can someone explain why it happened?
25 Mar 2010, 15:28 pm
@Blouste: If memory serves me correct AP’s kicking to posts was very poor, missing several easy attempts in the first half. Jack then brought on a number of first choice players in order to secure the match ofcourse substituting second-stringers like GB in process. Gary was desperate to make an impression and felt that AP’s poor goalkicking deprived him of the opportunity to stake his claim. He vented his frustrations in the dressingroom after the game.
Percy also told bout how he smashed Jean de Villiers’ face in when Jean and Butchy was making fun of him during a team video session.
25 Mar 2010, 15:35 pm
@Taahirah:@Blouste: Sounds like “Gary Botha is such a humble player and a great roll model for the kids” might be a little optimistic.
25 Mar 2010, 15:51 pm
@Oubaas2009: Oh but he is Oubaas. His dedication, perseverance, never-say-die-attitude and team player qualities. He has had to overcome a lot of adversity and always relishes the challenge. When Shimange was picked ahead of him (eventhough he was the premier hooker in the country by far), he merely stated that our divisive past requires it and just kept working at his game. Wouldnt mind my kids to be the caliber of a Gary Botha.
26 Mar 2010, 12:21 pm
@Taahirah: I can think of a few better role models out there than Gary Botha!
26 Mar 2010, 12:40 pm
@Oubaas2009: Im sure you could. Still doesnt make him a bad role model though.
10 Apr 2010, 13:45 pm
Heheheheh – Gary can not be as bad as Bullet aka Pellet, Dalton – or James Small for that matter, altho he played with hookers, rather than playing hooker himself
20 Apr 2010, 18:54 pm
I’m glad Gary is back, he is a great player in the loose and good at lineout time he has matured in Europe welcome back to a great BULL!
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