Olivier aims to shatter perception
19 Jun 2012
Wynand Olivier says he will use a start against England to convince everybody including himself that he belongs at the highest level.
Olivier is set to replace Frans Steyn at No 12 this Saturday, as Steyn has plans to get married and has been granted a release from the squad.
Saturday will mark Olivier’s first start for the Springboks since 23 July 2011 when he played for a dirt-tracker South African side on a winless Australasian tour.
The last time Olivier started for a full-strength Bok team was back in the 2010 Tri-Nations. Then coach Peter de Villiers was swayed by senior Bok players to give Olivier a final chance, and unfortunately it was a chance Olivier didn’t use to alter the perception that he wasn’t Test quality.
De Villiers then dropped Olivier completely, only recalling him in 2011 when the majority of the first-choice players were not available. Once again, Olivier blew this opportunity to impress, and was not picked for the World Cup squad.
His most recent recall to the national side has come as a shock, although Meyer has responded to criticism by pointing to Olivier’s experience. Nevertheless, there is a sense that there will be no more chances following this Saturday’s Test, and nobody is more aware of the fact than Olivier himself.
‘I don’t want to say I’m going out there to prove a point, it’s more about proving to myself that I can make the step up to international rugby,’ he said.
Olivier has played off the bench in the last two matches, and it’s been clear that England prefer to attack the Boks’ 10-12 channel when he is on the park.
Defence coach John McFarland confirmed that Olivier made more tackles than any other Bok back in the second Test, and what this stat indicates is that the England attack have targeted his channel as a potential weak point.
Olivier feels that he can cope with the hard-running England backs this Saturday and that he will also offer the Boks some strong options on attack.
‘Manu Tuilagi is a big guy and I’m looking forward to the challenge of stopping him,’ he said. ‘I am enjoying playing alongside Jean [de Villiers]. We haven’t played [as a midfield combination] since 2006 and 2007. He’s a guy with a lot of experience and I believe he will also bring something else to my game.’
Olivier believes he can succeed where he has failed before, that he can show his coach and team-mates that he is more than just a solid Super Rugby player. While there is pressure to perform in this situation, Olivier said that he won’t let it affect his confidence.
‘I’ve been out of the team for a while now, but it feels different now compared to when I was involved with Jake White’s team and then Peter’s, I was young back then. I’m more experienced now and more relaxed and focused on what I need to do.’
By Jon Cardinelli, in Port Elizabeth
453 Comments
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19 Jun 2012, 15:04 pm
You have a lot to learn about rugby….Wynand can still dominate the collision point ( what this means is he has the ability to tackle someone backwards or crash over the advantage line). JDJ does not have this ability!( too small) Meyer is building his game plan around controlling the collision (why we not playing a fetcher). Why would we want to play a midfielder that does not suit his game plan?
19 Jun 2012, 15:06 pm
@Meerkatte(phil72)-51:
Would be like selecting Btaam van Straaten to play a running game or Skinstad on a wet cold New Zealand evening…….
19 Jun 2012, 15:06 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-3:
19 Jun 2012, 15:07 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-44: so i take it you were a big Jorrie Muller fan when he was in a green jersey, despite his limitations as uhmm, say, a rugby player.
19 Jun 2012, 15:08 pm
@Meerkatte(phil72)-51:
Will this be evident after 70 internationals perhaps?
19 Jun 2012, 15:08 pm
@logie_Jumpbuck(logie_Jumpbuck)-48: Welllllllllll, he was on the field for quite a while on Saturday, yet all the ‘experts’ in their Sunday ratings of the Bok players COULDN’T give him a rating. He got a “-” below his name with the comments: ineffectual with no influence on the game.
How that translates to ‘fitting in with Meyer’s gameplan’ as explained by Wynie Meerkatte is damn confusing.
19 Jun 2012, 15:09 pm
@Gumboots(Gumboots)-47: I was at Newlands where JdJ did not too bad against the bigger,fitter and stronger Sadie and Olivier.
19 Jun 2012, 15:09 pm
@Gumboots(Gumboots)-50: And more importantly- they can run and find the gap
19 Jun 2012, 15:09 pm
@Meerkatte(phil72)-52:
And yes…. JDJ can tackle but cant tackle someone backwards also not to great with the crash ball…..
19 Jun 2012, 15:10 pm
@Meerkatte(phil72)-52:
…being stupid enough to select a player who couldn’t perform in 30 odd internationals before…
19 Jun 2012, 15:10 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-56: Wynie Meerkatte?Classic.
19 Jun 2012, 15:11 pm
@Meerkatte(phil72)-59:
The Stormers are masters at tackling backwards mate…it is their strength…you point is?
19 Jun 2012, 15:13 pm
i feel sorry for WO after reading this, lets all just hope he has a good game for the sake of the team
19 Jun 2012, 15:14 pm
@Meerkatte(phil72)-51: oh what utter bull s h i t!??? How is not able to step or pass properly as a center make you dominate the tackle point? What crashing into the defence ala japie mulder or Heinrich Fulse (remember him play under mac?) make you a better No.12???? I’ve played rugby for long enough to know that the all blacks and the wallabies have had a better backline than the boks for the last 20years mainly because they can run and off-load, as apposed to playing crash ball rugby. Mark my words, with the new breakdown laws, this game will not work against the all blacks.
19 Jun 2012, 15:14 pm
@Gumboots(Gumboots)-62:
If only their trophy cabinet displayed their brilliance!!!!
19 Jun 2012, 15:17 pm
@Gumboots(Gumboots)-49: Sharks and Bulls groupies floating on some good Meyer sh y te it seems.
They truly can’t see the disasters in waiting in the broader squad.
By the time they come down from their high, all that will remain is SBW’s boot marks on Meisie’s tanned back.
19 Jun 2012, 15:18 pm
Listen I’m not the biggest Olivier fan, but if he was as kak as you lot make him out to be, then Ludeke and Meyer must be the biggest palookas in world rugby. And if the biggest palookas can win multiple SuperRugby titles, then imagine what you lot can achieve. The world is your lung oyster.
Wynand is probably going to have a very good game on Saturday.
19 Jun 2012, 15:21 pm
Even if Wynand plays well I know a couple of Bulls supporters who agree he shouldn’t be there!!
19 Jun 2012, 15:22 pm
@Beertjie(Beertjie)-37: Denial is a sad affliction.
19 Jun 2012, 15:22 pm
@Meerkatte(phil72)-65:
Getting close mate… Three years is also a long time…
19 Jun 2012, 15:24 pm
@Meerkatte(phil72)-65: Very silly argument Wyntjie. I wish I could call on Murray Mexted to provide you with a little crash course.
And I’m still waiting for your dates/times/opponents of Juan de Jongh’s defensive disasters.
19 Jun 2012, 15:24 pm
@Meerkatte(phil72)-65: Are you Wynie Strydom perhaps?
19 Jun 2012, 15:26 pm
@Meerkatte(phil72)-65: Wynie,your cabinet looks rather bare as well.
19 Jun 2012, 15:27 pm
@Meerkatte(phil72)-51: Duane Vermeulen tackles people back and is good at a crashball, so is Ashley Johnson, Josh Strauss etc. And Ashley Johnson isn’t even THAT slow. He’d be a PERFECT 12 for you and his hands are actually better than Olivier’s!
12 needs to be able to pass and have mildly decent footwork…. dumbass.
19 Jun 2012, 15:27 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-67: He isn’t a total washout, but he is as mediocre as they come. Why do we reward such comrades?
When the ANC reward mediocrity folk moan, when Heyneke does it, folk cheer?
19 Jun 2012, 15:28 pm
@TooMuchRugby(TooMuchRugby)-72: YES!!! He is Wynie Meerkatte en minder honde.
19 Jun 2012, 15:28 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-67: wynand is probably going to have a very good game on saturday’. Care to wager a bet? When last did he have a ‘very good game’ in a bok jersey???? In 30odd games?
19 Jun 2012, 15:30 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-76:
I thought you’d enjoy this little blast from the past:
“443.Heavens Game said:
31 Mar 2010, 20:14 pm
@Transformation: 433. You might turn into a Mormon if you spend too much time on RT. Its much like a cult where everyone is outwardly friendly but deep in the organisational structure there is a plot to brainwash everyone into thinking the same thoughts, with no disagreements. They also want to marry eachothers wives, because 1 is not enough.
They seem to take advantage of those vulnerable, softies who can’t defend themselves.
They are easily identified by the friendly overtures of “hiyas” and this deep, non-confrontational hate of the one who calls himself “God”.
But each to their own. There are better forums on the web such as Planetrugby. Go there and be greeted for the first time with “**** off. N00B”, as a standard answer. So Keo, by comparison, is a bit placid.
Anyway each to their own.”
19 Jun 2012, 15:31 pm
No matter how the pinkies and guppies ridicule it,we at least have the conference and vodacom trophies in our cabinet.
19 Jun 2012, 15:31 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-67: WO is okay at S15 level and the Bulls haven’t exactly been swimming in in centers.
With their current stocks I think Ludeke is being quite a palooka not playing Francois Venter ahead of him.
19 Jun 2012, 15:32 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-67: Honest opinion from a honest guy. Well done Kat
19 Jun 2012, 15:33 pm
Weird
HG disappers and the jellyfish spineless Fern vanishes as well
Big bek when HG is here.
19 Jun 2012, 15:34 pm
@stormerforlife1(stormerforlife1)-79: And with our well-rested squad we’ll have the S15 in no time!
19 Jun 2012, 15:36 pm
Meisiekind may not be everyones cup of tee, but the last time JdJ took a gap was in 2010 ! Now he does what Meyer wants for a 12 – take the ball up, but with very limited sucess. Drop your WP bias – De Jongh has been poor the whole season and not much better last year. He has butchered at least one try a game by not passing and taking on his man … and then landing on his bum !
19 Jun 2012, 15:38 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-78: Bhwhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa – this is funnier than Mad Eye calling me a white whale premenstrual c nut.
19 Jun 2012, 15:38 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-82: You sound surprised?
19 Jun 2012, 15:40 pm
The only reason WO is being bashed on keo this week is because Spies is playing decent rugby…
19 Jun 2012, 15:40 pm
@dieter(dieter)-84: With this whole ‘dancing with the stars’ act they’ve got going in the Cape after scoring, maybe he should focus on his side step rather than his two step…….
19 Jun 2012, 15:41 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE(KWAGGA ROBERTSE)-88:
Goeie een!
19 Jun 2012, 15:42 pm
@Meerkatte(phil72)-87: Classic
19 Jun 2012, 15:42 pm
@dieter(dieter)-84: You have a point, but also consider that he’s been part of the stingiest defensive unit for 2 seasons. Not many teams have managed to impose themselves on the stormers this year yet. Surely that implies some sort of physical competency?
19 Jun 2012, 15:42 pm
@Meerkatte(phil72)-87:
This is an Olivier blog Wynie… Don’t lose focus now…
19 Jun 2012, 15:43 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE(KWAGGA ROBERTSE)-88:
19 Jun 2012, 15:47 pm
WO not the worst defender around. He just offers nothing on attack. His playbook consists of 1 move: Dummy then, crash it up.
Sorry two moves. He can do it to the other side as well.
19 Jun 2012, 15:48 pm
The boks don’t need a game-breaking fancy-pants centre to win on Saturday. What they need is to work on:
- set piece, especially scrum, but also kickoff reception and lineouts
- defensive organization
- tackle-point technique and tackle dominance
- breakdown technique, especially quick ball and turnovers (for/against)
- place kicking (I would demand 100% from him: He gets replaced the first time he misses)
- scramble defence
- situational awareness (otherwise known as: how the hell did they score from that quick tap penalty?)
- game management, especially bench introductions. We should target dominance in the last ten minutes.
A pressure game built on territorial advantage and periods of marauding forward play will win the next game, especially if we don’t leave place-kicking points on the table.
Having said that I would love to see BH at 11, JdV at 12, JPP at 13, BB at 14, and GA at 15. If the forwards could stil be in the game at 60 minutes that back division would mince this england team.
19 Jun 2012, 15:49 pm
@pompies2(pompies2)-91: I would rather put that down to a defensive structure as a whole. JDJ only does the bare minimum.
19 Jun 2012, 15:49 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-90: you are going,you come ,then you are going again, then you come again.what’s up hg?wp got you so rattled that you can’t stay away?you sound like the guy who always wants to get the last word in because deep down in his twisted mind he actually believes he will be the winner of the debate if he gets the last word in.
19 Jun 2012, 15:53 pm
@Kietzphat(Kietzphat)-94: You might see it as one dimensional, others might see it as game plan………Do you listen to the coach or to the crowd?
Anyways have a good one. Time to get going.
Adios
19 Jun 2012, 15:53 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE(KWAGGA ROBERTSE)-96: That’s rather contrived. The system is partly based on belief that the everyone in the system has a certain level of competency. If there isn’t that belief, confidence in the system will dissipate and you’ll end up in confusion. JdJ plays a role in the system as much as the most physical forward in the team does.
19 Jun 2012, 15:53 pm
@logie_Jumpbuck(logie_Jumpbuck)-64: ****! ****!
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