Manawatu easy choice for Oliver

ROBERT KITCHIN/Manawatu Standard

FULL OF BEANS: James Oliver bouncing off the walls while training indoors at the Barber Hall this week.

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James Oliver will start only his second first-class game for Manawatu at Mt Maunganui tonight, yet the Manawatu Rugby Union made sure this week they signed him up for two more seasons.

With both openside flankers injured, the 101-kilogram Oliver will wear the No7 jersey against the Steamers' fleet-footed pair of rookie Sam Cane and Tanerau Latimer at Baypark Stadium.

Oliver was offered time to think about Manawatu's offer, but didn't need to when summoned to chief executive John Knowles' office.

Interestingly, Manawatu had held off until just before the ITM Cup campaign before contracting him from club rugby.

"I haven't even played much for Manawatu but I'm happy that I have made an impression," Oliver said.

Someone with the Oliver pedigree could hardly fail: brother of All Black Anton, and son of All Black Frank and mother Jane, from the Donaldson family.

But James has never felt pressure to live up to the name.

He was in the Palmerston North Boys' High School first XV in 2001 and 2002, captain in his second year and head boy of the school. After spending a gap year teaching at a school in England, he was enlisted by the Wellington rugby academy for three years and stayed for four, until midway through last season.

He played for Old Boys-University, completed degrees in arts and commerce and got a few games in pre-season matches for Wellington and a season on loan to Horowhenua-Kapiti, but that was it.

"I didn't have a lot of luck down there," he said.

There was zero feedback from the representative coaches, unlike that from Manawatu's Dave Rennie and Bruce Hemara.

"Here, you are constantly getting feedback and opportunities to get better," Oliver said.

"I moved back from Wellington re-focused to see what I was doing next."

A lecturing position in international sports studies came up at the International Pacific College and Oliver got it. The college has generously allowed him time off with the Turbos.

He missed half of last season with Varsity after shoulder surgery and got through this year until his horrible elbow dislocation when going great guns in the close call against Canterbury.

He was icing the elbow after training at FMG Stadium yesterday but said he was fine, after coming back for a half-hour against Wellington.

"Now I've signed on for two years, I want to stay injury-free and put in a few more performances like the Canterbury game."

Oliver had contemplated playing overseas, but he is unattached and wants to give New Zealand rugby a good try first.

"I'm happy it has paid off," he said.

Having spent all but four of his 26 years in Palmerston North, his transition has been seamless. "I went to school with a lot of these guys."

And playing on the openside tonight won't faze him, even if he will be a lineout jumper too, in the McCaw mould.

"I played all my rugby there up until last year."

- © Fairfax NZ News