Sunday, January 11, 2009
Butch James and Joe Maddock combine for a great Bath try
South African flyhalf Butch James had an outstanding game for the visitors as he set up the first try with a barging run, then showed his more creative side to set up a brilliant try for winger Joe Maddock.
James collected his own delicate kick into space then exchanged passes with Maddock down the right wing before tossing it back to Maddock who stepped inside perfectly and dived over for a sensational try.
When Bath coach Steve signed James there were perhaps doubts over whether a player with such a reputation for brutish rugby would fit into a side that enjoyed such an expansive game.
"I had seen Butch play a lot of Super 14 rugby and had a different view on him than others," said Meehan.
"I was very aware he had the capability to play a good short or long passing game. His tactical kicking, which has so much variety, has been the aspect of his play that has surprised people most. Geordan Murphy is one of the best full-backs around and I have a huge admiration for him. Butch kept him second-guessing last Sunday and that shows the good job he is doing."
Try scorer Maddock believes that Bath play in the manner of southern hemisphere sides.
"Bath are as close to a Super 14 team in England as you can get with the style we play. There are other teams, like London Irish, who will chuck the ball around a bit, but I don't think that they will chance their arm as much as we do. That is certainly a trait that a lot of Super 14 rugby teams have: they are willing to run it from anywhere, which we are, and they score some fantastic tries, which we can do."
With the type of form that James is showing currently, he should be a shoe in for the number 10 berth come selection time when the Springboks host the British & Irish Lions. Whether the coach decides to look north or not though, remains to be seen.
Time: 02:01
Posted at 10:23 pm | 24 comments
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Viewing 24 comments
Anonymous January 12, 2009 2:58 am
Butch is playing the best rugby at 10 in the GP right now, very skilled.
Anonymous January 12, 2009 3:36 am
Sorry, but if James is considered a wonderfully creative fly half in the GP, that says alot about the lack of creativity of GP fly halves.Seriously, while that was a quality try, it was bad defense.I know alot of people will get indignant about this, but that's not a particulalry creative try in comparison to the S14. Simple grubber, collected by the player then some very good passing, exploiting some fairly bewildered defending.james was considered about as uncreative a fly half as you'll see in the S14, which he obviusly made up for with great defence, a powerful running game for a five eight and excellent kicking. His distribution has improved, though it's never been considered fantastic, while in terms of creativity, it's probly the weakest aspect to his game.The GP is a good tough league with some quality players and you can tell that slowly the play is becoming more expansive and ambitious in scope, but there's still a ways to go, in my humble opinion.
Cheis January 12, 2009 4:14 am
butch is a great flyhalf!!just look at the RWC07 matches!!Worldclass
Ruck Off January 12, 2009 7:56 am
Steve Meehan has reformed the Bath Backs. Under the likes of Connoly they were just an ugly rolling bunch of forwards. Now they are a classy outfit with a real chance at the title.
Alex January 12, 2009 10:18 am
I'm sorry but this team does not come close to any of the super 14 teams...maybe the Lions...but the others, not even close mate!
FrankyH January 12, 2009 12:22 pm
As someone who watches slightly more Super 14 then I do Guinness Premiership, I'm still happy to say that Bath are a great side to watch. I dont know why there needs to be a constant comparison between the two tournaments.. Good rugby speaks for itself.As for Butch, great season, and despite what the Anonymous rant above says, he is actually very creative and has always had it in him, but perhaps just never had the confidence to give it a go. He's no Stephen Larkham, but he's certainly not Rob Andrews either...IMO.
Anonymous January 12, 2009 12:42 pm
dont rate johnny murphy at all. v suspect defence in my opinion
durrie January 12, 2009 8:06 pm
Butch is playing some of his best ruggers in quite a while but I also agree there is no sense in comparing the S14 ith GP.Butch used to do the grubber stab for the Sharks ALL the time and it paid off maybe 0.025% of the time...the gruber suits the GP conditions...wet slow fields...Having said all that - Butch has lighting quick hands and his gather and pass is what was special and typically Buch about that try...
Anonymous January 12, 2009 9:38 pm
Butch is not very creative, that's just plain bull.He never has been considered a very creative player in the mould of Carter, Gitaeu, Larkham or even a guy like contepomi.
Anonymous January 13, 2009 4:25 am
Giteau and Carter have never won a World Cup, Butch has backbone and steel, those chokers don't.
Slater January 13, 2009 12:12 pm
no ones denying that Butch isn't a great player...he is from the SH after all :D We produce the best down these ways ya know...anywho, i've tried watching these games but theres no flare, no wow factors, in other words this competition is crap!!
Monty January 13, 2009 12:18 pm
huh Gits and Carter don't have backbone!! thats funny, being an englishman myself, i don't think i've ever seen gits and carter shy away from a tackle or twenty! I would give anything to have any of these two quality players playing for my country/club...but nooooo we get fricken Flood and Cipriani!!
Anonymous January 13, 2009 2:01 pm
Slater, the crowds for the GP and Heineken Cup are growing massively. The crowds for the S14/NPC/Aussie rugby are dying a death, no one wants to watch that basketball crap. So which is really the most entertaining?
Martin Johnson January 13, 2009 7:04 pm
Bloody hell that was bad defence. If jonny murpky had tackled james right after the grubber (technically late i know but he still would get away with it) then there would have been no problem stopping that try.
Anonymous January 13, 2009 9:50 pm
So crowds determine quality of rugby? The reduction in Aussie crowds has nothing to do with the compettion from league, AFL and soccer?Basketball crap? Is that why the southern hemisphere sides are the top three teams in the world, cuz they play basketball? Is that why NH clubs constantly import SH players and coaches to improve their squads and strandards of play? Because we play soft rugby?You simply wouldn't see such shonky defence in S14, tries don't come that easy, with the possible exception of the Lions and maybe the Reds a couple of years ago.If the rugby's so soft, why do SH teams dominate the contact area when we play the NH sides? Cuz maybe the intensity is higher in the SH?
Ricol January 13, 2009 9:59 pm
what the fuck happened with buthchs hair? he looks like eminemGreat try
T January 14, 2009 8:49 pm
I don't know what the ranting and raving is all about.The Southern Hemisphere HAS always and WILL always have a more creative and entertaining style of rugby than the Northern Hemisphere, with the exception of France.The fact is that they have better teams their than they do here. No question. Just look at New Zealand. The f*cking game is their religion there.Granted, the premiership is far more entertaining then it used to be and whilst that does partly come down to the increasing expansion of the game here, the main reason really is because of the help of the SH players that are here.
Anonymous January 15, 2009 4:08 am
yes the SH game is so entertaining that people in NZ and Aus are switching off and not turning up to games.Like Shaun Edwards says, a slice of chocolate cake is great but it doesn't taste so great if you're eating it three times a dayS14 = glorified 7s and we all know how boring 7s is.
Anonymous January 15, 2009 12:26 pm
S14 produces the All Blacks. Do you think they just suddenly turn into world beaters when they put on the black jersey and play like 'glorified sevens' players for their clubs? So by chocolate cake you mean good rugby? And you'd get bored with that, so you'd prefer some crap, NH rugby to liven things up a bit?Stuff that, chocalate cake is always good, Shaun Edwards is an idiot.
Anonymous January 16, 2009 8:19 am
except the Al Blacks aren't world beaters on the highest stage, they're quarter-final chokers. A fat lot of good that basketball they play does them come crunch time.Chocolate cake refers to expansive backplay, if you have it all the time it becomes boring humdrum stuff. Shaun Edwards is more successful than you!
Anonymous January 17, 2009 3:26 am
Hitler and Stalin were mosre succesful than me too. And yes, I just compared Shaun Edwards to Hitler and Stalin.Anyway, you keep you're non-chocolate cake rugby, whatever hell that means, and the SH teams will just continue to dominate rugby.Works for me.
Slater January 17, 2009 10:08 am
ummmm what dwindling crowds are you talking about? SH rugby in the SH attracts a lot of crowds, they might not sell out, but there is a decent amount of people that show up to the S14 games. I've been watching the games in the NH and the crowds there are just as bad, if you want proof watch any of your crap games and you can count the amount of people that have bothered to turn up. And to Anon you asked the question, "So which is really the most entertaining?"Are you seriously going to ask me that question? I've honestly tried to watch a full NH game, and for the life of me can't seem to stop snoozing off. Hope that answered your question.
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