Frans Steyns take on Olivier

So Frans reckons he is one of the best, if not the best centre in the world

Waaaaaaaahahahahahahahaha.

Its a stretch but puts Olivier into perspective. I have always rated the guy and Frans obviously does and he should know given he actually opposes him

I doubt any player is going to downplay his own performance by calling his opponent....a stone, a rock, a reef......but that's what Wynand is. Hell last week Brussouw ran right round him to score. Raising this embarrassing fatuation of yours, is not a good idea Dave.

Nope Olivier has always been a quality player, with all the attributes of a 12. He lived in Jean's shadow and rightly so, but had Jean not been about, Olivier would have done the Bok 12 jersey proud. Balanced runner, good hands and one of our best defenders - far better 12 than the likes of Barry, Braam and few other sad excuses who played 12 for the Boks.

I somehow think Frans was being sincere about his evaluation of Wynand. I certainly see what Frans sees in him, he has been one of the best centres playing today, but like Jean, he is done

 In the 3rd test against England I would say he had his best game ever for the boks- after about 30 times reprenting them. I have seen Missie play well for the bulls- looking like an allround inside center- but his games for the boks have mostly been weak. In the first test when he came on he was especially weak. Good tackler and crash ball- but creates nothing usually at Springbok level. Although playing outside Morne cant be that easy either.

Shark, problem is, seldom do people put his test performances into perspective. Most of those tests were out of position at 13 or on the wing, or off the bench. He never got an opportunity to settle at 12 or have an extended run in that position at test level. He has always been a bits and pieces test player as he has only ever been afforded opportunities when Jean and Frans have not been around.

People judge him unfairly, to become a test player, you need security and the opportunity to settle - he never had that as unfortunately for him Frans and Jean were better options.

I dont buy into the crap that he never made the step up to test rugby.......had he played 15 consecutive tests at 12 for the Boks and failed then fair enough.

Olivier was without doubt a test standard 12

Due to the injury to De Villiers in 2007 - Steyn came into the picture as a 12 and was a smash hit.   He pplayed there with distinction in the WC.   Since then he did play in that position regularly - while De Villiers normally in subsequent tests played either 13 or at wing.    The latter was the player who had to play in different positions - not so much Olivier.

When I initially saw Olivier play as a Junior I thought he would be the real deal in future.   However, maybe due to coaching and the Bulls ploaying patterns, he became to an extent a one-dimensional crash ball player.   This could have been the result of tthe poor service he constantly got from Morne Steyn - with whom he had to play for since 2007.

The Bulls had only two playing strategies for Steyn.   Kicking - mostly purely handing over the ball to the opposition - or passing the ball in hospital passes to Olivier, who had to play crashball.   Maybe in a different playing environment Olivie could have come to the top.   He constantly was a very average one-dimensional player on international level and I believe he could have developed differently with a proper playing strategy.

Under the circumstances the combination of Steyn and Olivier neutralized peerformances of the rest of the  back line of the Bulls and the Springboks.

Sorry - but the above is an example of strategy mismangement in the environment he had to play.

sorry to say but olivier was never really up to standard either. that being said jean was in the pole postion for the 12 jumper for way to long and as a end result his game suffered very badly for it. franna gave him a much needed wake up call.

franna might well be the best 12 but only if he is used correctly and he does not try to ram his way over the gain line.