Butch: 'Good luck boys'
Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:30
It is a bitterly disappointed Butch James that will watch from the sidelines as South Africa take on Wales in a one-off Test in Cardiff on Saturday, but he will still cheer on his teammates at the Millennium Stadium.
James was withdrawn from the Test on Thursday, as Premier Rugby, the umbrella organisation responsible for managing the 12 professional clubs in England, won the stand-off against the South African Rugby Union over the World Cup winner's availability.
James admitted that it was distressing, but said it was "not the end of the world".
Even Bok captain John Smit expressed his dissatisfaction with the stance of the English umbrella body.
"Butchie out, he's gutted," Smit said in his Twitter feed, adding: "First Bok to ever be selected & dropped three times in one week! Please don't Ask me to explain, I don't understand myself!"
James, speaking to rugby365.com from the team's base in Cardiff, said he was "really excited and looking forward to the weekend", before Premier Rugby pulled the rug out from under him.
"I haven't played for them [the Boks] for two years and I really missed it," James said about the game that would have been an opportunity to show Bok coach Peter de Villiers that he can add value to the team at next year's World Cup.
Putting the disappointment behind him and looking at the game, James had a warning for his teammates.
"Every time the Boks play against them [Wales], they want to knock us over," James told rugby365.com from Cardiff.
"Two of their [regional] teams won major championships in recent weeks," he said of the Cardiff Blues' win over French outfit Toulon in Amlin Challenge Cup and Ospreys's victory against Irish giants Leinster in the Magners League Final.
"They will have confidence in the camp and no doubt will be keen to knock us over."
With a number of the other Boks in the squad also plying their trade in Europe - Frans Steyn (Racing Metro), Joe van Niekerk (Toulon), BJ Botha (Ulster) and CJ van der Linde (Leinster) - they will be familiar with the qualities of the Welsh players.
"I haven't played much against Cardiff, I think it was two years ago," James said, adding: "But most of the guys have played against the Welsh players before and have seen them.
"I'm sure they will all have some information to share."
James said that despite the disruptions and the fact that the coaching staff had less than a week to gel players from Europe and South Africa into a unit, James said there is a "great vibe" in the squad.
"There are a lot of old friends, who haven't seen each other for a long time," he said of the team that started gathering on Sunday.
"It's been a great re-union, the guys are pretty excited and there's a great vibe.
"The guys will look to take that through into the game on Saturday."
By Jan de Koning