Oliver back on track for a big season

The news on Highlanders hooker Anton Oliver is all good: he has no lingering injury problems and is building steadily into the long season.

The former All Black captain's career was thrown into turmoil at Carisbrook on May 11 last year when he suffered a severe Achilles injury against the Queensland Reds.

There was the long, lonely rehabilitation and the nagging question mark about whether he would return to pre-injury form.

But the doubts are disappearing. "I'm fine," he said yesterday. "I'm trying to do the basics well, making my defensive tackles and then slowly building my game from there.

"We're sort of in a five- to six-week period where we haven't been able to do as much fitness work as we would have liked.

"There was the travel to and from South Africa, and it was too hot to do much fitness work there.

"We haven't done much this week because of the travel, and we've got a short turnaround next week before we play the Blues.

"It's going to take a while to get our base conditioning back."

Oliver said his body clock was still returning to normal after the long haul from Durban to Dunedin.

"It does take a while to get your sleeping patterns right, but it's nothing we don't know or haven't experienced before."

He said the players were not unduly distracted by the suspension of Aisea Tuilevu and the subsequent criticism of the South African judiciary by team captain Taine Randell.

"I happened to see it [Randell's criticism] on my computer, but even after that it wasn't an issue. It was only when we got to Dunedin Airport . . . where it felt like coming out a cocoon into this media maelstrom."

However, the Highlanders were deeply disappointed for Tuilevu, Oliver said.

"He's just a really quiet, nice Christian man and he has a very gentle way about him. Everyone gets on well with Tui."

Oliver is relishing the prospect of the match against the Crusaders at Carisbrook on Saturday.

"They're a biggie for any team. But the local derby aspect attracts extra attention. We're aware of their history in the Super 12, the stature they have and the fact they've got class players right through their team."

Oliver will be pitted against either the emerging Corey Flynn or his old mate, Mark Hammett.

After the Crusaders come the Blues and, after the Blues, the bye weekend for which Oliver already has plans - an escape to his bach at St Bathans in Central Otago.

"It mentally refreshes me. It all depends on where you're going means to you.

"It's hard to explain, but Central Otago just feels like me, like where I'm from. Once you're on your way to Central Otago everything just goes, just washes off, with the window down and the wind going through your hair.

"The real things that matter in life seem to be ensconced there - friendship, loyalty and getting on with the job."

Which is precisely what Oliver himself intends to do at Carisbrook on Saturday night.

- NZPA