Why Larkham called for on Jarrad Butler ahead of David Pocock to face the Waratahs

PICK the odd one out: George Smith, Stirling Mortlock, Matt Giteau, Stephen Moore and Jarrad Butler. If you went for Butler, you’d be wrong.

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - MAY 31: Jarrad Butler of the Brumbies is tackled during the round 16 Super Rugby match between the Brumbies and the Rebels at Canberra Stadium on May 31, 2014 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Stefan Postles/Getty Images)

PICK the odd one out: George Smith, Stirling Mortlock, Matt Giteau, Stephen Moore and Jarrad Butler.

If you went for Butler, you’d be wrong and, furthermore, it is actually a trick question.

On this prestigious list of Brumbies, there is no odd name out and, while surprising, it also goes a long way to explaining why Stephen Larkham this week entrusted Butler — and not David Pocock — with the job of battling Michael Hooper and the Waratahs tomorrow in Sydney.

It’s been a big few days for the 23-year-old backrower.

The Kiwi-born forward has represented Australia at every junior level, debuted for the Reds in 2012 and even played the British and Irish Lions twice in four days in 2013.

But it has only been this week that Butler’s name has come to national prominence, with Michael Cheika saying on his current form he is a potential Wallaby bolter, and Larkham then selecting Butler over a fit-again Pocock.

The latter was a big call, not just because of Pocock’s calibre and proven capacity to not need a gradual return to action, but because of the challenge of matching the dynamic Hooper.

Even Pocock couldn’t quibble with Larkham’s pick.

“I don’t see any way you could drop them (Butler and No. 8 Ita Vaea) after the last four or five performances,” Pocock said this week.

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To fully understand Larkham’s selection, however, you need to rewind further back to last season and to how Butler ended up on that distinguished list of Brumbies players.

In only his first season, Butler was last year awarded the Brett Robinson Medal for the Brumbies players’ player.

Player-voted awards are the most credible of all sporting prizes, and despite playing in a team with no less than 13 Wallabies like Moore, Fardy, White, Toomua and Kuridrani, Butler was recognised as the best. By those same Wallabies.

It was, according to a Brumbies insider, “sort of a shock, but not really”. Butler also pocketed the award for best new player, and the Canberra Vikings’ NRC player of the year.

It was a prize haul reminiscent of Smith, who famously won 10 Brett Robinson medals.

Smith’s dominance was based on every skill in the book, but Butler’s gong earned mostly through one key Smith trait: unwavering dependability.

In 17 games, Butler made 244 tackles and missed just 15. In one three-game stretch against the Force, Rebels and Chiefs, Butler made 62 tackles and didn’t miss a single one.

When it came to filling in voting sheets each week, Butler’s engine was recalled by his teammates and when it came to picking a side to deal with NSW’s big ballrunners tomorrow, it was in Larkham’s mind as well.

“It is really confidence-boosting to have the support of your coach and Poey as well,” Butler said.

At the behest of Jake White, Butler moved to the Brumbies to get more game time despite having the likes of Pocock, Ben Mowen, Fardy, Vaea and Fotu Auelua already there.

He didn’t mind that challenge, and nor does he shirk the challenge of facing up against Hooper, who he played alongside in the Aussie schoolboys and under-20s.

“It is good pressure,” Butler said. “If you have no one pushing you, you are not going to work as hard. I think it is a positive thing to have guys like Poey there, who is always pushing you and always helping you. And then obviously a guy like Hooper as well, on the other team.

“I definitely don’t have what Poey has to offer, he is one of the best pilferers of the ball in the game. And Hooper is very dynamic with his ball carries and things, he is more like a workrate player. I don’t compare myself to them, I just try to work just as hard.”

It is an attitude that already has Butler on one big-name list, and if Cheika’s interest is maintained, could perhaps see him on another later this year: the Wallabies World Cup squad sheet.

“It was really positive (to hear Cheika’s comments), I was happy about that,” Butler said.

“But it doesn’t change anything this week ... this is the biggest game we’ve had so far, so all we are concerned about is trying to beat the Waratahs.”

Originally published as Why Larkham called for on Jarrad Butler ahead of David Pocock to face the Waratahs