James has been linked with a return to South Africa

Bath coach Brad Davis says he saw both sides of Butch James' game as the South African played his first game of the season in the 26-22 loss to Ulster.

The 31-year-old fly-half was key to an improved Bath attacking display but got sent to the sin-bin for fighting.

"Butch is an enigma but again he demonstrated how much we missed him," Davis told BBC Bristol.

"He just needs to control himself when tempers get a bit frayed and stay on the field for us."

Bath were leading 14-13 when James was yellow-carded and in the 10 minutes he was off the pitch Ulster scored a try to lead by six points.

He plays the game on the edge and as a coach it's a real fine line how you temper that with being a little more conservative Brad Davis

"He plays the game on the edge," said Davis

"And as a coach it's a real fine line how you temper that with being a little more conservative because you don't want to take away what is his natural instinct.

"Ironically he got given his yellow card when we had the ball."

But the 42-year-old Australian was quick to praise James' contribution to Bath's attacking play.

"He definitely put more width on the game for us," he said.

"And without Butch on the field we probably wouldn't have scored that great try in the left-hand corner by Matt Banahan.

"We're a more potent attacking threat with him in the side but it's going to take a little time for him to gain that consistency."

Bath's second consecutive defeat to Ulster has effectively ended any hopes of progressing beyond the pool stages of the Heineken Cup.

606: DEBATE Have your say on James' comeback

For the returning Springbok James, out since September with a shoulder injury, he felt they were masters of their own downfall.

"I really don't think Ulster won the game, I think we lost it," he said.

"Our basics let us down, catching, passing, scrumming, line outs, all those things you need to win a game."

But when Bath analyse the Ulster defeat, their defence and skills coach suggested it will not just be James' game they will be looking at.

"We weren't at our best and you can't win games at this level without everyone performing to their highest level," added Davis.

"We had a few today that were not up to scratch and ultimately it's come back and hurt us as a team."

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