Olivier's experience pips De Jongh
Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:18
Back with the Boks: Wynand Olivier partnering up with Jaque Fourie
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has named what he termed the 'best combination' for Saturday's one-off Test against France at Newlands.
The Bok coach also admitted that the experience of players like Wynand Olivier and Ricky Januarie earned them starts ahead of exciting players like Juan de Jongh and Ruan Pienaar, respectively.
As was expected, De Villiers brought back a number of players who did not feature in last weekend's 34-31 victory over Wales in Cardiff, as he looks towards a more established combination to tackle the Grand Slam-winning Six Nations champions, France.
Olivier at inside centre, star left-wing Bryan Habana, Morné Steyn at flyhalf, Pierre Spies at No.8, Schalk Burger on the flank and Gurthrö Steenkamp at loosehead prop are the most significant changes in the starting XV.
In the battle of the flanks, local lad Francois Louw beat off the challenge of Bulls ace Dewald Potgieter, a selection De Villiers described as one of several "difficult decisions".
Munster returnee Jean de Villiers - who missed the Welsh Test because of injury - has been named on a bench that also features Flip van der Merwe, who will make his Bok debut should he take to the field.
The Bok boss made it clear that experience and established combinations were the key considerations for what is likely to be another bruising battle against the French.
Asked about the decision to select Louw ahead of Potgieter, De Villiers pointed to his familiarity with Schalk Burger (at the Stormers this season). He added: "Having him next to Schalk [where he played throughout most of the Super 14] can only benefit the team."
Olivier's experience of 27 Test caps, since his debut in 2006, also played a major role at No.12.
"In this Test - which we regard as our toughest of the June internationals - you opt to go for experience, rather than experiment on the field," said De Villiers. "Wynand has been there now for four, five years and that is just reward for him to earn his starting place."
Olivier, of course, will start ahead of Bok veteran Jean de Villiers and the Bok coach explained: "This is the best combination that we could put together, given the fact that we don't have Fourie du Preez [at No.9] on Morné Steyn's inside.
"We needed to give him [Steyn] some level of comfort and how blessed we are to have a player like Wynand to fill that role.
"We are playing a Test where space and time will be less," explained De Villiers, "while the decision-making process will be so much faster, and it is comforting to know you have a player who has been in the trenches with the Boks."
The Bok mentor also spoke of experience when it came to the selection of the terrier-like Januarie - who will win his 42nd cap - ahead of Pienaar (who started at flyhalf last weekend).
"How blessed we are to have so many good options available to us," he said of the No.9 scenario, adding: "The toughest part of my job trying to get the combinations right and hopefully I've made the right call."
South Africa: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 BJ Botha, 2 John Smit (captain), 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Dewald Potgieter, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Juan de Jongh, 22 Jean de Villiers.
Date: Saturday, June 12
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-off: 14.00 (12.00 GMT)
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Keith Brown (New Zealand), David Changleng (Scotland)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
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