Butch James, Jean de Villiers and Hanyani Shimange - Boks Office podcast - on RSA, FIJ, IRE, AUS, ENG

Butch James, Jean de Villiers and Hanyani Shimange on the Boks Office podcast. You can listen here.

On Manie Libbok:

Butch James: "There has been a lot of talk on Manie's kicking in the press conferences. It is really hard to put it out of your mind. The only thing you can do is go to the practice field and go through your routine that you're going to do on the field and make sure you put the hours in. So when you do go on the field it is almost second nature.

"I thought he has been outstanding [in his role as fly-half]. I really believe our attack is the best it has been in the last 10 years. I can't remember the Springboks attacking so nicely. I really don't recall it being so good. We have got the muscle, we are a physical team but we do have a bit of flair now as well."

Jean de Villiers: "When he misses kicks it doesn't affect his game, which is a positive. As we have been saying I think the strategy needs to change a little bit and that will take the pressure off whoever kicks at goal. Remember Faf [de Klerk] also missed."

On Handre Pollard:

James: "I think the other option would be to play Handre at 12. I just think it is a real tough one, our number 12s Andre [Esterhuizen] and Damian [de Allende] both give us so much go-forward, I don't think Handre would be able to offer us the same go-forward. In saying that, it would sort out our goal-kicking. We all know Handre hasn't played a lot of rugby in the last year, think he has only played 40 minutes in the last month.

"So for him to come on the pitch, play well and get all his kicks is quite a lot of pressure. We do know he has got the experience. It's a tough call.

"I really do feel sorry for Manie."

On who has impressed him at Rugby World Cup 2023:

James: "Chile and Uruguay have been the two teams for me that have been really impressive. Fiji as well, everyone was expecting coming into the World Cup. When they didn't beat Wales everyone was pretty disappointed. But I think the way Wales played against a pretty poor Australia team, it shows how good the Fijian game was. For me the team has been Fiji so far.

"For me the player of the tournament so far has been Bundee Aki. Especially this past weekend, he really played well. He has given Ireland the go-forward and that little bit of physicality."

On South Africa-Ireland:

De Villiers: "Would it not made more sense, like we did against New Zealand, when you get penalties you kick it out and maul it? You apply the pressure, force them into giving away more penalties and kick it out again, you get another penalty that leads to a yellow card or you get points from that. Only a kick that is a guarantee do you take because at lineout and scrum we had them under pressure. But when you miss those kicks the pressure goes off so the pressure could have been done but in a different way."

On Ireland's physicality:

De Villiers: "I don't think they surprised us, I think we expected that from them. They are a quality team, well coached. You don't have weaknesses in that squad and I think the bravery that you saw as well."

On the final maul:

De Villiers: "I think that is a such a good reflection of the game. The margins were so small. The referee blew his whistle and the ball was out or was the ball out and the ref blew his whistle?"

Hanyani Shimange: "I thought the ball was out. I thought it was a bit of an anti-climax."

On Antoine Dupont:

De Villiers: "I think what eventually will happen, Dupont will play in the play-offs. But I think we [South Africa] can still beat them, whether he plays or not. Sometimes you rely so much on a player and when he eventually comes back you think, 'OK, he is going to win it for us' but that is never the case."

On Australia:

Shimange: "I personally find it very sad to see. Not for them to get knocked out of the World Cup but the performance."

De Villiers: "You think of Australian rugby and you think of the glory days. You think of the team in 1991, you think of 1999. I just think it is a different Australia now. Since 2015 they have had a 38 per cent win record in all games. 

"I think it was a bit of a punt that Eddie [Jones] said we're going to talk the talk but they are not able to walk the walk. I'm not sure if he has the resources to do that."

On England:

De Villiers: "Congratulations to [Henry] Arundell. Five tries in one game at a World Cup, that is pretty special.

"[Marcus] Smith was good. They started the game quite poorly and they only got into it later on. You can't [have Smith, George Ford and Owen Farrell] in the starting team so what they do now in the next game and what team they select will be a good indication of how they go at play-offs. Freddie Steward for me is their best 15 so why move your best 15 to wing to accommodate someone else? The same debate for fly-half."