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, 17:30 pm
Isn’t it ironic that HG is suddenly all over the forum since the S15 break. Are we to assume the plonker will make his customary disappearing act once it restarts? The life of a Sharks supporter! Lol!
19 Jun 2012, 17:31 pm
salakahle sfebe… ngizobuye later
19 Jun 2012, 17:40 pm
@Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-151: we just never know with that mal donner.that is now one blogger that makes his name toss on this forum basically on a daily basis.i wonder whether he still believes the sharks will surge ahead of the stormers when their bye weekend comes around.they might if sanzar changed the rules during the international series and the bye is now worth 20 points.
19 Jun 2012, 17:41 pm
Sharkies have won a few CC and been close in super rugby… AS for the stompies, been useless for 15 years…..
19 Jun 2012, 17:48 pm
154 @ Meerkatte
Winning the CC in 1997, 2000 and 2001 I guess doesn’t count in whatever you perceive as the last 15 years?
19 Jun 2012, 17:50 pm
@Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-155:
Apologies… last decade…. hope you feel better about yourself?
19 Jun 2012, 17:51 pm
@Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-155:
my deepest sympathy!
19 Jun 2012, 17:53 pm
156 @ Stompies
I wasn’t the one with the epic fail moment lol. Why are you apologising to me stompgat?
19 Jun 2012, 17:55 pm
157 @ Stompies
Mad Cow?
19 Jun 2012, 18:00 pm
@Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-159:
Cant help but to feel bad for your bunch!
19 Jun 2012, 18:01 pm
@Stompies(phil72)-160:
You must be over the moon with your vodacom cup performance though?
19 Jun 2012, 18:25 pm
Someone called “Phil” making his bek big here
19 Jun 2012, 18:26 pm
To all the wepee supporters calling Wynand ****: Looking at our teams performances over the past decade lets agree. Bulls – Good… Sharks – Solid…. Stompies –c.r.a.p…
Bulls
Super rugby. 2007, 2009, 2010
ABSA Currie Cup, , 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 (shared), 2009
Vodacom Cup, 2008, 2010
Sharks
Absa Currie Cup: 2008, 2010.
Stompies
Vodacom cup 2012
19 Jun 2012, 18:26 pm
Watsup Phil
19 Jun 2012, 18:28 pm
Stompie is a cig butt
You smoke a lot?
19 Jun 2012, 18:29 pm
All good, just had enough of all the stompies calling the kettle black
19 Jun 2012, 18:30 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-165:
You also a stompie?
19 Jun 2012, 18:32 pm
Chill Phil
No beef with you. Only some sharks.
19 Jun 2012, 18:32 pm
Some senile folk out tonight!
19 Jun 2012, 18:34 pm
Moenie aangaan nie pee wee
We only fight with some sharks
19 Jun 2012, 18:39 pm
@Stompie till I die!!!!(phil72)-167: dont believe it Phil, they will soon accuse you of all kinds of ****, and act all innocent, the self same Dawn is one of the main stirrers, then expects to be respected as a lady
19 Jun 2012, 18:40 pm
@Stompie till I die!!!!(phil72)-163: Is that you Wynie Meerkatte? Has Heyneke changed his gameplan (or his mind) hence you changing your nic?
19 Jun 2012, 18:41 pm
Oh SL give it a rest already man!
Its getting really old really fast now!
FFS!
19 Jun 2012, 18:42 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-172:
Meerkatte old news… All about the up and coming stompies now…
19 Jun 2012, 18:44 pm
No-one is hassling him!
And another thing I don’t expect special treatment.
So just stop repeating the same old thing over and over again.
19 Jun 2012, 18:51 pm
Olivier has one chance to prove himself and it’s Saturday. Time to earn your bucks china.
19 Jun 2012, 18:51 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-175: Forgive SL – Managing a Meals on Wheels ‘van’ is super stressful.
19 Jun 2012, 18:52 pm
@Stompie till I die!!!!(phil72)-174: Name your poison Wynie….
19 Jun 2012, 18:59 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-178:
Got my tickets, watched the practice session yesterday, happy for Pottie getting a start, just a pity about SA’s standout center over the past 2 years (JDJ) being overlooked…….
19 Jun 2012, 19:00 pm
Same old boring Stormers whining.
19 Jun 2012, 19:03 pm
Hell, even Bosman would be a better bet than Olivier
Boks 14 to beat Pommie 15
19 Jun 2012, 19:04 pm
Looks like typical Bulls and certain SharkieVarkie arrogance shinning through.
Boks will win despite that ’cause of humble Meyer who got his first big time break at the Cape
19 Jun 2012, 19:04 pm
@RiotBananas(Dawnpre)-180:
How can anybody play meisie over De Jong?
19 Jun 2012, 19:06 pm
But…. can anybody tell me why it is when they loose meisie is pathetic and when they win meisie had nothing to do with it?
19 Jun 2012, 19:07 pm
@Stompie till I die!!!!(phil72)-183:
Meyer can. He knows better than all of us.
19 Jun 2012, 19:09 pm
@Stompie till I die!!!!(phil72)-179: Reverse psychology is for Sharks groupies Wynie. (They fall for it without fail – as you can see from their blind support for the “No place for small guys in test rugby” campaign.)
I don’t think anyone has said that Juan has been the standout center in SA – as none of our centers have been ‘incredible’ bar Jaque Fourie last year. What most are saying, is that he is certainly better than 39th time lucky Olivier.
19 Jun 2012, 19:10 pm
Wepee has had, De Jong, J Fourie, De villiers, Habana, Aplon, Peterson Grant for a few seasons now and all the supporters are punting them as best in the country…… But….. we cannot even win a currie cup, not to mention super rugby….. something wrong here!
19 Jun 2012, 19:12 pm
@Stompie till I die!!!!(phil72)-187:
Maybee we shoul not blame the backs…. Lets rather put the blame on Burger, vermeulen, bekker, and the rest of the forwards……..
19 Jun 2012, 19:13 pm
Big is better. As the Kiwis.
19 Jun 2012, 19:13 pm
imagine if wynand had a bit more melanin…whoooo the quota calls
36 Tests to prove you can make the step up to Test rugby?!!!
Nowhere in the world but SA would this be possible!
19 Jun 2012, 19:13 pm
Or maybe………… all of them just overrated?
19 Jun 2012, 19:19 pm
And for the bulls.. they have been struggling along with stegman, Spies, Steyn, Olivier, Kirchner, Ndugani, chillieboy etc (all useless), but still been producing the goods…. go figure?
19 Jun 2012, 19:20 pm
@Stompie till I die!!!!(phil72)-192:
did not mention werner and flip……(also useless)
19 Jun 2012, 19:29 pm
@Stompie till I die!!!!(phil72)-193:
Fourie Du Preez must of been an absolute magician!!!!
19 Jun 2012, 19:30 pm
Interesting theory
19 Jun 2012, 19:31 pm
Just trying to make sense of way of thinking there by the mountain?
19 Jun 2012, 19:32 pm
emboerit.
19 Jun 2012, 19:32 pm
@Stompie till I die!!!!(phil72)-184:
> But…. can anybody tell me why it is when they loose meisie is pathetic
Loose meisies are always good as long as you score
19 Jun 2012, 19:36 pm
@victoriabok(victoriabok)-198:
Makes more sense than anything else written today….
19 Jun 2012, 19:43 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-190: Well, at least hes a starter in the superugby. i remember Chillyboy being the backup of Derik Kuun!!!!!! and still making the Bokke. Do you remember? sure you had no issues
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