Boks replace lock with playmaker

The Springboks rugby management have replaced injured lock Danie Rossouw with first five-eighth Butch James, acknowledging they needed a better playmaker than Jaco van der Westhuyzen.

Van der Westhuyzen was at No 10 when the South Africans were beaten by a record 49-0 by the Wallabies in their Tri-Nations opener in Brisbane last Saturday.

Now they're rushing James over to New Zealand for this Saturday's match against the All Blacks in Wellington.

The South Africans will name their team tomorrow. The All Blacks are scheduled to name their side today.

South African rugby experts identified the lack of an efficient playmaker and openside flanker in the team's performance, which coach Jake White admitted was the worst ever in his memory, against the Wallabies.

White, however, has resisted calls to include specialist openside flanker Luke Watson (Western Province) as he already has Solly Tyibilika in the squad, although he used Juan Smith, a part-timer in the position, last Saturday.

"For him [Watson] to get here now would be a bit late because he has never been part of the squad," White said.

"Besides, Solly Tyibilika is here and I have to be sensitive in terms of transformation. What message would it send out if I suddenly rushed in another player ahead of Solly?"

Tyibilika is a black player and there is a push from both the South African Rugby Union and the government to include more coloured or black players in the team.

"Van der Westhuyzen allowed Australian inside backs Stephen Larkham and Matt Giteau to run through him several times in Brisbane and the handling, kicking, passing and decision-making of the first five-eighths were also sub-standard," the South African Sunday Times said in its analysis of the match.

"The Natalian [James] covers first five-eighths [first five] and inside centre [second five] and his physical presence reputation means Dan Carter and Aaron Mauger won't fancy cruising through those channels in case they come close to decapitation via a swinging arm."

Meyer Bosman ran at first five-eighth at practice in Wellington yesterday but James, who is scheduled to arrive in Wellington tonight, "would bring a far more direct approach to the Springboks' attacking play," the Times said.

James, 27, has played nine tests.

"The sort of straight running Butch does is much more dangerous to the defence because they can't just drift across," said Springboks convenor of selectors Pieter Jooste, who is in Wellington with the team.

Jooste said James' kicking would give the Springboks more options.

"Against New Zealand, if you keep kicking them into the corners and stopping their momentum, they can crack under the pressure. They get frustrated far easier than the Australians, who always seem to have several ways of bursting through."

- NZPA