Turner on Butch and Bath
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:47
Dragons boss Paul Turner admits he tried to take Springbok star Butch James to the Welsh club a couple of years ago before he subsequently went on to join Bath.
The former Sharks star has not always been highly thought of around the world, but Turner said he was more than eager to take the playmaker to Rodney Park.
Unfortunately for him though it was not to be and James, now a World Cup winning flyhalf, will be lining up for the opposition this week when the Dragons head to the Rec for their Heineken Cup pool game this Sunday.
Turner said: "When Ceri [Sweeney] was here and was due to go to Cardiff [Blues], I enquired about Butch James.
"Other people had different opinions on him, though – he went through that period when he was clouting everyone in world rugby but he had other sides to his game.
"I suppose that was for me to know at that time, but he is a fine player and his goal-kicking hasn't been what he would have liked.
"But that is what you get when you are the key man in the side. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't.
"His all-round game is fine and he is obviously a World Cup winner.
"He was not available to us and then he got back into the Springboks set-up and they won the World Cup."
Turner admitted that he has been very impressed with the current Guinness Premiership leaders performances so far this season and that it was clear that two of their international imports were vital to their success.
"The key to it is Bath's two South Africans because when [Michael] Claassens plays well, Bath play well.
"He is a top player and James has brought a new dimension to them although, in my last year at Harlequins before I came to the Dragons, John Connolly was in charge.
"He was a fine coach but it was a different kind of game they played. Now they have gone on leaps and bounds."
"It was a hell of an achievement to go to Toulouse and get into the position they did and they should have won, in all fairness."
Turner though would not write his team off, saying they would be up for that challenge that comes with going to the Recreation ground.
"Sides that mix it with them can get a bit of a response down in Bath. Sides that fall off and defend poorly are put to the sword.
"They are arguably the best side in England at the moment and the best attacking team in Europe."
