Butch: I’m not an impact player
15 Sep 2011
Butch James says he doesn’t have the skills associated with an impact player.
Preceding the Tri-Nations, James had been identified as the Springboks’ premier flyhalf for the World Cup, remaining in South Africa to prepare with the elite group of players, while a weakened side, including Morne Steyn, contested the Australasian leg of the tournament.
He started in Durban but missed a relatively easy penalty (the wind had blown the ball over in his kick approach) in the defeat to Australia and subsequently lost his place for the next Test against the All Blacks. Steyn put on a goalkicking masterclass and ousted James, with coach Peter de Villiers telling the media that Steyn had always been his man.
Steyn was clearly targeted as a defensive liability against Wales in the World Cup pool opener in Wellington on Sunday, Jamie Roberts tormenting him. His goalkicking threat was nullified by the disciplined Welsh and he offered little from an attacking perspective when playing flat to or taking on the line.
James will start against Namibia in Auckland next week, but is likely to be deployed as a reserve for the Springboks’ major matches thereafter. It is widely accepted that this is not a role suited to the 31-year-old, and he spoke openly about his limitations in this regard.
‘I don’t think I’m an impact player. I think there are other guys better suited to that role – guys that have a bit more speed to assist their linebreaking ability. I don’t have that pace and game breaking ability. I could come on and close out a game for you, which I suppose is some sort of impact. But, yeah, not an impact player in the traditional sense,’ James told keo.co.za.
James, however, added: ‘There are frustrations about playing off the bench, but I’d like to think I’m a pretty good reserve in terms of my attitude. I’m here for the team and whatever role I’m deployed in I’ll give it my best shot.’
James was instrumental in the Springboks’ successful World Cup campaign in 2007, but said then he believed it would be his last. He enjoyed a successful stint with Bath and forced his way into the Springbok squad in 2010 off the back of his excellent club form.
‘Last year when I got back into the mix with the squad was when I realised I could go another year,’ he said. ‘My body is feeling good. After 2007 I was hoping for another two years in the game but things have worked out well. In a strange way the big injuries I sustained at Bath helped prolong my career. It offered me a chance to rest and build up my body.’
James said there was a different feel to this World Cup campaign, explaining the challenge is supplementing what the senior players have lost in athleticism with a more intelligent approach and calling on their experience. He added that it would be ‘silly’ to dismiss the northern hemisphere challenge, but still felt strongly that the winner would come from one of the three southern hemisphere teams.
He continued by adding that this side was more pragmatic in its approach than the 2007 group, but was confident that with the evolution of defensive systems it was the right path to follow. ‘The longer the tournament goes on the tighter it gets [tactically],’ he said. ‘A fear of losing [in the play-off stages] tends to force teams to be more conservative. Australia and New Zealand may be the exceptions. They’ll probably back the way they play, so I wouldn’t say we’d have an advantage at that stage should we face either of them.’
Probed for his thoughts on the benefits of continuity in selection with a specific focus on the All Blacks’ fondness of rotating their side, James said: ‘There are undoubtedly huge pluses to having the same guys on your inside and outside. You build an understanding and everybody knows their role in the machine.
‘But the All Blacks rotate so often that you have to think the players are used to each other. I don’t think it will be a problem for them in the group phases. In a tight play-off match it may be different. Then is when you want established combinations.’
By Ryan Vrede, in Wellington
Follow Ryan’s World Cup coverage on Twitter
41 Comments
15 Sep 2011, 06:04 am
Butch Dragons!!!
15 Sep 2011, 06:06 am
Impact DRAGON…from what I saw on the weekend you also not a starting player, so what to do!
15 Sep 2011, 06:07 am
Between James and Steyn I’d rather go with Butch, purely based on the Wales game.
The Boks can ill afford missed tackles with the Fijians.
15 Sep 2011, 06:07 am
See Butch, if you slow you come second…
15 Sep 2011, 06:14 am
Just for the record…
Steyn made 16 tackles, missing 5. 68.8% success rate, 80 minutes.
Butch made 10, missing 4. 60.0% success rate, 57 minutes.
So for all the negative comments v positives for the two, Steyn ended up having a better success rate.
15 Sep 2011, 06:21 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-5:
I’ve taught you well my son…
Some punters watch the games far too emotionally… and that’s with Steyn’s channel being targetted…
Still too many missed in saying… and Snor doesn’t have the brains to employ the tactic the Aussies do with Cooper and bringing in Ione into his 10 channel on defence!
15 Sep 2011, 06:22 am
As for Butchie… only Keo and co were punting him as the ‘premier first choice 10′ after not having played there in how many tests?
15 Sep 2011, 06:23 am
Keo’s little campaign to have Morne removed is getting tiresome. It’s not like Butch James is Quade Cooper or Dan Carter, the oke isn’t what he used to be and getting him into the team simply because “he can tackle” is stupid.
15 Sep 2011, 06:27 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-6:
Son?!?!? Feck, how old are you?
15 Sep 2011, 06:35 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-9:
Figure of speech old chap
On those stats… some are quick to jump on Morne’s channel when JF, JPP, Hougaard, Habs were even more dismal with missed tackles…
As I said… too many emotive viewers… one look at the stats after the game… and then a second viewing (not under the influence) and that’s ‘objectivity’…
15 Sep 2011, 06:52 am
So, Butch says “I must be the run-on flyhalf with the 10 on my jersey”….
15 Sep 2011, 06:54 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-5: Wel gedaan broer!!
@Steel Shark(Steel Shark)-8: Cannot agree more.
Steyn’s missed tackles could have lost us the game but did not. His boot won us the game so why all this kak. Was he the only one missing tackles?
G10 must have sat with a stiff all day reading reading Keo’s anti Steyn article.
15 Sep 2011, 06:56 am
“Butch James says he doesn’t have the skills associated with an impact player”
Butch you hardly have any skills nowadays chap. Just one look at your overhyped ‘return’ to SA rugby in the S15 tells the whole story.
15 Sep 2011, 07:04 am
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE(KWAGGA ROBERTSE)-12:
Howzit pajama donkie! Hoop my tjek is in die mail, nie aldag wat ek opkom vir ‘n Bul!!!!
Butch looked lost and although Steyn is not the best flyhalf ever he did what was expected of him. I asked yesterday where was the guys that was suppose to help him when the big blokes ran ta him all day MIA is where…
15 Sep 2011, 07:08 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-10: JP was suppose to help cover and his first cover ended in a high tackle
15 Sep 2011, 07:22 am
Butch lad, you weren’t brought in as an impact player. You played because of an injury to JdV
15 Sep 2011, 07:57 am
ag come on butch, dont be so precious pumpkin…
you know, and we know….that you know that you’re an impact player….
but hey, if thats what you want to hear then uhmmm…ja, you’re the most handsome guy in the world, guy…
15 Sep 2011, 08:09 am
God help us this RWC with Helium and Muir in charge …..:-(
15 Sep 2011, 09:08 am
Second half substitutions:
Hougaard on for Odwa.
De Jongh into inside centre with Frans reverting to fullback.
Lambie move to flyhalf in place of Morne, and Ruan on for Fourie duP.
Muller on for Bakkies and Alberts for Spies. Beast and Bismarck for Guthro and John.
That will leave a nice looking backline with:
15. Frans
14. JPP
13. Fourie
12. Juan deJ
11. Hougaard
10. Lambie
9. Ruan
15 Sep 2011, 09:12 am
There is a large measure of arrogance about Mr. James.
He talks about being frustrated playing off the bench, as if it is his birthright to be in the starting 15.
Well, how frustrated must Bismark, Ruan Pienaar, Francois Hougaard then be? How frustrated must Danie Rossouw have been for 99% of his illustrious career?
In any case, I was joking about Keo punting Butch because of a bookdeal. Until I actualy saw the advert for the book right here on Keo.
What unbelievable gall. In Afrikaans you call it “vermetelheid.” An absolute lack of shame. And here I’m talking about Keo, not Butch.
15 Sep 2011, 09:35 am
Ja Butch, in the Aus 3N game (Durban), we would’ve won if Morne was there. Not just because of the missed kicks, but also because of the uncertainty when given a penalty within 45 meters – looked lost and confused.
Morne’s boot is an amazing luxury in knock out rugby – hell, Aus can cotton wool Cooper, but we can’t help out Morne with all of our breekers – come on!
15 Sep 2011, 09:46 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-5: Well stats never paint the full picture.
Butch is usually the aggressor in the tackle situation – when he connects he often forces a turnover or stops an attack dead in it’s tracks. Hell, sometimes even when he bounces off he has the effect.
Steyn on the other hand has a much more negative mindset on defence. For example there was that one tackle that almost led to a Samoa try where he was marched 15 meters back by the Samoan player, who could then place perfectly for quick ball. So that was a successful tackle?
15 Sep 2011, 09:49 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-6: I think you missing a trick here. Cnosidering the team, you’ll find that the backline selections are defensive ones, so from 11 to 15 are all defensively solid players and decent attackers. I wouldn’t be too surprised to find Lambie defending the flyhalf channel on Fiji ball. Morne moves to fullback so that he can clear the ball downfield and force lineouts.
Don’t expect an open running game from the Boks. This is going to be a basic gameplan of fowards grinding Fiji and Fourie and F. Steyn used as strike runners. Not pretty, but will be pretty effective.
15 Sep 2011, 10:44 am
Slartibartfast. Excellent observation!
I watched the game three times and mostly in slow-motion. It is clear that certain posters simply lie and tag onto false statements made by some emotional opinions.
Jamie Roberts did not run onto Morne all game long and the Welsh No 8 at midfield ran through our centers and Morne where brushed off as covered defense which should be a compliment for his effort. Our No 8 Pierre Spies should have covered behind our back line. Pierre was mostly anonymous.
The Welsh try by the No 8 broke the first line of defense which was Jacque Fourie and to blame Morne is to say the least preposterous. A few seconds before the try Morne made a good tackle near the posts and got up and became part of the cover defense from an awkward angle to the No 8 which already beaten Fourie.
During that period our loose forward could not secure one single ball and where were our `losies` on defense when the try was scored?
Butch was in side centre at that time – why haven’t he made the tackle?
When Dok Craven was asked the question on Naas Botha`s poor tackling – indeed it was non existent – Dok`s reply was that the flyhalf are not in the team to make tackles because if he had to make tackles someone is not doing his job!
15 Sep 2011, 11:58 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-20:
Do you really believe that Butch said that as reported here? Context?
15 Sep 2011, 12:45 pm
@Uys(Uys)-24:
Why on earth would anyone want to wacth this match three times, most of it in slow motion? Rassie is that you?
15 Sep 2011, 13:01 pm
Now why can’t Plod do the right thing and say he is simply no player anymore? Butchy well done man, for putting the team first.
15 Sep 2011, 13:32 pm
A bench need to consist of impact players who can speed the game up and cool heads who can close the game down.
That is a winning formula, and therefore Butch is an ideal bench player.
15 Sep 2011, 13:52 pm
Lets pray for a miracle, james get sent home and elton jantjies flys over to save the day! Should have sent jantjies in the first place! wtf has butch done to even deserve to be there in the first place?? All of this is merely a ploy for that dooos keo to sell books! ****!
15 Sep 2011, 14:12 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-20:
He did go to Maritzburg College. That’s how they breed them souties.
15 Sep 2011, 14:24 pm
I have to say that I am a firm believer that Peter Grant and Patrick Lambie should have gone as the premier no.10′s to the world cup, morne can only kick and wales showed how to minmise that and butch james wanted the big hit so bad that he completely forgot about faletau… with Frans Steyn and full back either Lambie or Grant would have slotted in to the no10 jersey.. people didnt give grant a chance saying he was not good enough for the test side but he was never given the chance at 10 in a full bok team while lambie is being stamped with a utility tag just like pienaar and f steyn…p grant was the best of south african fly halves for two years running in the super rugby tournament…. he can also kick goals so its down to a p div favourites scheme that the right players are not in the right places.
15 Sep 2011, 15:22 pm
Morne Steyn is a liability in every sense except for goal kicking. James when given game time adds an attacking dimention to the boks that Morne never could as well as robust defence. James has had TWO matches in over 10 weeks for the boks and in those two matches he never played in the same position it is inevitable he would be somewhat rusty. Morne Steyns lack of versatility costs us more matches than his kicking wins especially without forward domination which we are not going to get consistently in this World Cup. It is probably no coincidence that Habana and Pietersons try scoring droughts coincide with Steyns elevation to SA’s number one flyhalf.
15 Sep 2011, 15:40 pm
@Grim Reaper-26
How many times do you think will the Fiji and Samoan coaching staff watch the Boks/Welsh game… first time life, 2nd in slow motion and 3rd time with their players and then over and over again strategizing.
Why on earth would any one think that axing SA`s match winner will make the Boks better during this RWC is beyond understanding on close analysis of the game played last Sunday.
15 Sep 2011, 16:17 pm
@malcolm(malcolm)-32: Grootste kak wat ek in n lang tyd gelees het.
15 Sep 2011, 16:19 pm
@Rhys7(Rhys7)-31: Lambie sure Rhys but hell no, not Grant. Not at this level
15 Sep 2011, 16:21 pm
@pompies2(pompies2)-23: Last thing we want is an open game against these guys so I reckon you are spot. 10 man rugby might just be the order of the day
15 Sep 2011, 16:25 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE(KWAGGA ROBERTSE)-36: spot on
15 Sep 2011, 17:34 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE(KWAGGA ROBERTSE)-34: You obviously do not re-read your own posts then.
15 Sep 2011, 19:35 pm
In 9 tri nations matches from 2010 until this year with Morne Steyn at flyhalf we have lost 7 and won 2. We scored 16 tries (if i counted correctly) 8 in two high scoring games against the Aussies last year and then 8 in the other 7 games and conceded 34 tries. He also starred in our famous loss to Scotland. Over the last two years he has around a 50% record of wins when starting for the boks. Not exactly setting the world on fire even with his great goal kicking ability. Now we must trust him at pivot to lead us to wins against our probable fellow Southern Hemisphere nations in the semis and finals where New Zealand are leading us 17-3 in the try count and the Wallabies 17-12 over the last 2 seasons(and the aussies are much better than in 2010). That is if we get past ireland.
16 Sep 2011, 08:22 am
And when Butch says ‘I’ll give it my best shot ” does he mean his high shot , his late shot or both
16 Sep 2011, 08:23 am
Whoops I forgot his other favorite the good old cheap shot
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