Premier Rugby instructed Bath to pull Butch James from South Africa’s Test against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.
With thanks to www.sarugby.com
Premier Rugby are insisting that Bath withdraw James from the clash despite Saturday’s game having Test match status and falling in an international rugby window.
The confusion seems to arise with the refusal of Gloucester to allow four of their Scotland internationals to take place in an uncapped Test match against Japan tonight.
SA Rugby are yet to release an official comment on the matter, but are understood to be talking to Premier Rugby about the issue.
It appears the matter has been resolved.Premier Rugby wanted assurance that the Test was an IRB sanctioned match.
The question is would a test match still be a test if not sanctioned by the IRB?Anyhoo, so much for the rugby news slowing down.
It apears as if the story has once again changed.Butch is now extremely unlikely to play in the Test as Premier Rugby has raised concerns of the “players wellbeing”

Yowsers
They not even playing rugby at the moment so what’s the point??
If unavailable I take it Meyer Bosman will move from the bench to 12??
I wonder who the replacement 12 will be??
Um, Wynand Olivier?? :spit: :puke: 🙄
This is bollocks. Tell Bath to get knotted.
By the power of greyskull I am…. Wynand Olivier!
Seems the whole truth behind the Butch vs. the Sharks debacle may in fact be that his current club is managed by a bunch of wets
hehe …
one cannot help noticing that the out of position selections are sorting themselves out, first De Villiers now Butch 🙄
it would be a pity though if he can’t play – for his sake I mean.
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 4) : @SandTiger (Comment 5) :
The two of you are real funny bastards hey!! lmao 😆
@wpw (Comment 8) :
And by ‘bastards’ I mean the nicest sense of the word!! 😈
@wpw (Comment 9) : thank you… I think…
the Saru communications department confirmed that the matter had been resolved and that James will start at inside centre at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 11) : Thank goodness for predictive login… I’d hate to have to remember how to spell Worcestershire everytime!…. Anyway… that’s at least a bit of good blogging news (get it?)… Can’t wait for that first stiff arm high tackle…
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 11) : neee, how boring 🙄
Why would SARU be talking to premier Rugby?
FOOKEM!!!!!!!!!!! It is an IRB regulation Premier Rugby can’t just do what they want.
Hold the horses people. Bath are not insisting that he gets withdrawn it is premier Rugby that is.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 15) : my horses did not leave their stable – I barely managed to get excited about some other this time international silliness when it was almost immediately quashed
I still say they’re wets!
@SandTiger (Comment 17) :
Well it DOES rain a lot. 😆
@wpw (Comment 9) : Oh hell, I went off sulking until I realised it was a compliment!! @KSA Shark © (Comment 15) : Still Bollocks to them. For even suggesting that Butch withdraw.
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 19) :
I’m not sure what is happening,” James told rugby365.com, adding: “It’s Premier Rugby, rather than Bath.
“I just handed it over to Andy [Marinos, acting MD of the South African Rugby Union] and Charles Wessels [the Boks’ Logistics Manager]. I didn’t want to get involved there, I’ve left it with them.”
Marinos was not immediately available for comment, but a Bok spokesman told this website that Bath support James’s inclusion in the Bok team, while SARU have already written to Premier Rugby to inform them that this week’s Test does indeed fall inside the IRB window for internationals.
🙁 Well this is a shame old Butchie still got some GOOD rugby in those old bones of his maybe its time for younger blood but old Meise Kind me don’t know at all 😕 ❓
Sorry wrong thread 😳
@KSA Shark © (Comment 20) : Ok then, Bollocks to whoever started the rumour!! Damn it, bollocks to someone ok!!
OI!!!! When will this team be practicing together? At this rate we’re heading for our second hiding to the welsh 😯
For the sake of internationals being included in future Springbok squads they’d better make sure they win this Saturday.
So many distractions, smells of the start of the Sharks season 😯 😐
Reading on rugby365 it seems this little saga is far from concluded and Butch will more than likely not be allowed to play, someone at Saru had the wrong calender in mind or something.
The following is when the international rugby window starts as shown on Rugby365:
“Unless Council approves otherwise the three weekends in June shall be the second, third and fourth weekends.”
This game is one weekend too early. 🙄
Continuing on my ‘when are they supposed to practice’ question, Bekker seems to have injured himself and might be replaced by Matfield who will then have to fly ALL the way to Cardiff today.
This side is falling apart and they’ve hardly even passed a ball.
They’ll have to show some character, luckily Captain Smit is there to steady the ship, seeing as he’s had some experience with last minute changes this season.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 27) :
Zane Kirchner will be called up if Butch can’t play!! 🙄
@wpw (Comment 28) : Why do you have to keep using the E word. I cant even let my children read this site anymore!!
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 29) :
What are you talking about?? 😈 😉
@wpw (Comment 30) : I thought we agreed yesterday that this is a family site, and you keep swearing. You can be such an Earl sometimes!!
@wpw (Comment 30) : Haha, sorry, I just noticed the edit. Ok, ok, I apologise for calling you the E word. I take it all back. Forgive me for losing my cool and almost blasphemously insulting you.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! 😥 😥
I wanna see Butch! 👿
Why oh why don’t the poms just give Butchy his brit passport – if he doesn’t have one already – if they insist on Earling up any vgue chance he might have had to play in the WC??? Let the poor guy at least score something from this debacle.
Wow we must be really bored by the looks of some of these comments 😆 Can’t wait for the Tri Nations and more importantly the CC to start.
@SandTiger (Comment 34) :
haha
I see what you did there!! 😈 😉
So what’s the Springbok squad’s make-up?
As in the team from 1 – 22? Please? Anyone?
@wpw (Comment 28) : Butch is a much better player than ZK
Ok what happens if he goes on to play?
would they sue him? maybe thats a way of getting out of his current contract?
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 31) : Now now thats WPW him old self again 😆
@Farlington (Comment 35) : thats true CC please start
@Uli (Comment 39) : mm maybe thats what he wants 😕
@chaz (Comment 38) :
He is.
But they play in different positions which means Frans Steyn will probably move to 12 and Kirchner to 15. 🙄
@chaz (Comment 42) : Yip maybe oom rudi is not that dumb after all…lol
After all he is the master of getting people out their contracts…hehe
@wpw (Comment 43) : well steyn can play both but would like him to stay at 15 or am me wrong maybe 10 😕
@chaz (Comment 45) :
I think the team needs him at 15 seeing as we don’t really have any test quality fullbacks at the moment.
We have depth at 12 in JDV, Olivier (puke) and maybe De Jongh if he does manage to make it at the highest level!!
@Uli (Comment 39) : So he can go to the Lions? 😈
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 47) : 👿 👿 👿
don’t you think the snoils have enough of our sharks 😈 😉
@chaz (Comment 48) : Its an intricate flow, Chaz. The Sharks take from the Free State. Europe takes from the Sharks, and when they get old and broken the Lions take from Europe. Its the circle of life. Didnt you see the Lion King? Its a bit of an Earl, but there you have it.
It’s worse than a circus…
Well its official James is not playing, he is out. Kirchner replacing him.
@lostfish (Comment 50) : who is 😕
@Uli (Comment 51) : now that is 👿 😈
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 49) :
hahahaha
You know, you’re such an E&%L!! 😈 😆
Just heard Bekker is also out and Matfield going over….what a mess this is turning out to be.
@Pokkel (Comment 55) : yes.indeed.
would be better if PdV just got the proper team from the very beginning.
I think of all the players Victor probably needs most rest – would rather send some youngster over.
oh well – pity about Butch but perhaps one should realise that his Boks days are over and he had good days really.
@Pokkel (Comment 55) : this is not good at all
@rekinek (Comment 57) : He would have provided great depth in a position we are a bit thin. This is a pity.
@rekinek (Comment 56) : what is it with the old guys always getting in the side stime PDV is going to have to get younger players because the oldies is getting old and the young must take their place
and then the WC 2011 is around the corner 😕
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 59) : but then again – he was not chosen on the bench.
still one year to WC – rather see how younger players do – even Meyer Bosman can do FL if needed.
@chaz (Comment 60) : Yes, but its good to have a blend of youth and experience. If the Boks make the finals and Morne Steyn gets injured in the last 20 mins, who do you want coming onto the field, Butch James or Peter Grant/Ruan Pienaar/Earl Rose???
@rekinek (Comment 57) :
To be honest with you I don’t agree as I have watched him play for Bath recently and from what I saw he is still good enough and could add value to the Boks.
We don’t really have that many flyhalves challenging Morne Steyn and if he does get injured who would you have at 10 in an NB RWC game??
Grant?? Tiger Pienaar or our World Cup winning flyhalf Butch James!! 😈 😉
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 62) :
Wow Earl.
SNAP!! 😈 😆
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 62) : well BJ is out by the looks of it ER 👿 😈 no way so it leaves us with oupa and PG
must be sbody else we can always move FSteyn to 10 and P Lambie to 15 now how about that 😉
@wpw (Comment 64) : Earl me, that was impressive.. you know what they say about great minds. They say that none of those exist on this forum 🙂
@chaz (Comment 65) : Im not sure BJ Botha is the answer at flyhalf either
@wpw (Comment 63) : i haven’t watch Butch play for ages so won’t argue with his form. though after Brits getting the best player award I’m in serious doubts about the Premership standards.
as said still one year to WC – don’t you think that Grant should make a step up?
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 62) : the tiger 😆
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 67) : smitties kicking game improved recently so we should be fine here
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 66) : surly you have a great mind but Earl Rose not ever alike he can’t even play rugby that s why he always on the bench and hoping they pic him to play he must just stay where he is in the SNOILS team 😉
@chaz (Comment 71) : 😆 No, you misunderstand me. Earl is a euphemism for a more common 4 letter word that begins with f…
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 72) : that is correct he is a big [email protected]
like KSA would call it
@chaz (Comment 73) : yes, but we are trying to keep it friendly 😉 Like Keos relationship with Craig Joubert
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 74) : 🙄 ok if you insist 😆
Fantastic, another disappointment. Just what the Sharks fans need.
So Crusty will move to fullback and Steyn to 12 now I guess?
It`s too soon for Olivier to start. I`m still in Super 14 mode, everytime he touch the ball I`ll be rooting for a welshman to take his head off in the age old Bulls tradition . . .
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 24) :
Seems it WASN’T a rumour afterall. 🙁
Looks like Sauce led us up the garden path with his @Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 11) : comment. 😛
@Original Pierre (Comment 76) :
Someone said it somewhere. amazing how all the guys playing out of position are being sorted by injuries. 🙂