James Botham was a titan for Wales in a losing cause – Getty Images/David Rogers
They came fearing a cricket score, but instead witnessed a young Botham leading the rearguard.
Perhaps the Principality Stadium was a little too strenuous in its celebrations of a second try in the embers of a record 12th defeat, but the red-shirted masses know defiance in the face of the foregone when they see it. And after the year this rugby country has suffered, victories – no matter how small – must be toasted.
Certainly, Lord Botham would have been proud of the lad he calls “Jimbo” and recognised the merit in battling on even when the result is inevitable.
James Botham was born in Cardiff when his father, Liam, was playing his club rugby at the Arms Park and when it came to which flag he would appear under, the flanker chose his birthplace over the Land of his Grandfather.
And the capital city was mighty glad of it as he joined Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake in delivering a performance that encapsulated the spirit Wales will need to haul themselves out of this hole. Regardless of the commendable guts, this is a first winless calendar year since 1937. Make no mistake, this is rock bottom. Indeed, there are disused mines in the valleys that have not visited these depths.
Yet there is a light in that all-enveloping gloom and as the home crowd left the protection of their cherished citadel’s roof to spill out to the exposure of Storm Bert, there was a palpable feeling Storm Bokke could have been a great deal worse.
Wales were 14-0 down after eight minutes and, after shipping 50 points to the Wallabies six days earlier, that seemed the very least of the potential damage. That they managed to restrict the double world champions to five tries to two of their own in the last 72 minutes was a relief and was only possible because of the gargantuan efforts of Morgan, Lake and Botham.
South Africa lock RG Snyman is stopped by James Botham (left) and Kemsley Mathias – Getty Images/Ian Cook
They might sound like a 70s prog-rock band, but they are, in fact, the heartbeat of the Welsh future. Seventy tackles between them – 28 for Morgan, 22 for Botham, 20 for Lake. Those are martyr numbers.
The thing is we already knew all about Lake and Morgan and that, together with the injured Dafydd Jenkins, they are Lions in waiting, not to mention Great Redeemers. Botham has been the revelation and it is a shame that it has been possible to overlook his progress in these desperate times in which the mediocrity on the pitch from the national side has at last lived up to the long-running shambles and mismanagement in the Welsh Rugby Union offices.
Alas, the Dragons have at last come home to roost and whatever they say and however the forthcoming pointless WRU review dares to frame it, this cannot go on. However, it would be ridiculous to fire Warren Gatland. The WRU must increase the Kiwi’s influence over the domestic game and ensure the conditioning of the rest of his players can live up to the indomitable three.
While Lake and Morgan were all nose to the grindstone and inspired by example, Botham continuously put in the back-foot heroism himself, before urging his colleagues to show the same belief and desire. Even when they went 38-5 to the bad with the clock ticking, he waved his arms and shouted ‘come on’ to all those whose heads were dropping.
When Rassie Erasmus, the South Africa coach, remarked, “there were times out there when the Welsh were smashing into us” he was doubtless referring in part to Botham. Working for TNT at the stadium, Sam Warburton nodded in agreement.
When Botham first emerged at the Cardiff region in 2017, Warburton was so stunned by the teenager’s dynamism and explosiveness in a drill that he decided it was the moment to hang up his boots. He felt a yesterday man, and the tomorrow man was the reason.
Botham was representing Wales in 2020 and at only 21 was extolled as one of the principle heirs to the Welsh back-row giants, who as well as Warburton included other Lions like Justin Tipuric, Josh Navidi, Dan Lydiate and, of course, Taulupe Faletau.
At 6ft 2in and 17st he is not the biggest, but his competitive psyche more than makes up for it. His family connections allow him to be described as Beefy without the brawn.
Injuries have held him back and he has confessed there have been moments he wondered if he would ever get the run of games every Test-legend wannabe requires.
Botham was quietly impressive against Scotland in Wales’ first game of 2024 – and that 27-26 humdinger was the closest they came to prevailing in 2024 – but an ankle complaint forced him out for the rest of the Six Nations. A late call-up to the summer tour to Australia hurtled him back into the frame and, in the last fortnight, the 25-year-old has summoned the exhibitions of resistance that permits the Welsh not to be entirely devoid of hope.
Fair enough, it has been an annus horribilis, without so much as a jot of the mirabilis that characterised Gatland’s first reign. But where there is a Botham there is a way. Bread of Headingley, indeed.
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