Despite the presence of English players Max Ojomoh and Ollie Lawrence, along with Scottish and Welsh internationals Cam Redpath and Louie Hennessey, potentially hindering his access to the starting lineup, Will Butt maintains that he has no intention of fully embracing the versatile player role.
Butt’s powerful build – standing at 6’2 and weighing 16 and a half stone – has rendered him a valuable option at flanker on occasion, in addition to several of his 58 appearances for Bath being on the wing.
The 25-year-old’s first senior club appearance was actually on the wing in October 2019, against Louis Rees-Zammit, no less, in a 26-24 Premiership Cup victory at Gloucester, where he will lead Bath out as captain for the first time this Friday night.
“I was completely outdone on two high balls, one after the other, and I received a lot of advice the following week about the importance of contesting more in the air,” he recounted this week.
“When Covid was rampant and we were experiencing a high rate of player unavailability, it became a case of the next player stepping up, and I ended up playing a few games on the wing. I had practiced on the wing frequently because we had a wealth of talented centres.”
In October, during the first of his two Premiership appearances as a substitute this season against Sale, Butt transitioned to the back row after Bath encountered a shortage of frontline locks and needed to adjust the pack’s configuration.
“It is something I have previously done when we have been reduced to 14 men through a yellow card, so it wasn’t completely unfamiliar to me.
“Moreover, within that particular game, I wasn’t required to execute too many technical aspects as a back row player, so it wasn’t vastly different for me, and they offered me some protection, keeping me out of the spotlight. Therefore, I simply had to move around and engage in physical play.
“As you increasingly observe with a 6-2 bench setup, players who possess the capability to perform in multiple positions are becoming increasingly indispensable.
“We have individuals like Josh Bayliss, who is adept in the back row and has experience on the wing and in the second row, and that’s undeniably crucial for us.”
While Butt acknowledges the significance of being a versatile player, he was encouraged by a discussion with Bath head coach Johan van Graan at the beginning of last season, when his impactful runs in midfield contributed to offsetting, to some extent, the absence of Lawrence due to an Achilles injury.
“Without a doubt, I would prefer to play centre,” he stated when questioned about his preferred position.
“I believe Johann and I had a conversation at the commencement of last season, and he conveyed that he views me more as a centre than a wing, which prompted a sense of relief as I don’t particularly enjoy playing on the wing.
“However, at the same time, as I mentioned previously, possessing the ability to cover multiple positions can be incredibly valuable, and I am more than willing to do anything that enables me to get on the field.
“Therefore, I intend to maintain it as a part of my skill set, but I prioritize playing centre above all else. I am so accustomed to playing centre, having done so throughout my entire career, and during a game, I don’t want to be excessively analyzing my actions; I simply want them to be instinctive.”
Regarding Ben Earl, and the widely discussed notion of playing the back-rower at inside centre for England, Butt doesn’t perceive any inherent issues.
“I anticipate it would be intriguing. He certainly possesses all the necessary physical attributes to handle it effectively, so I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t be capable of doing so.”
