Former All Black hard man Anton Oliver has had to tackle some tough opponents over the years. But nothing compares with his assignment this weekend.
Mr Oliver, who lives in London, admitted he was ''a bit nervous'' before his debut with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in Wellington on Saturday.
''It's certainly something different for me,'' the 38-year-old said from rehearsal in Wellington yesterday.
''My initial response was to say 'no'. But if I'm not going to do something in life, it isn't going to be because of fear. The fear of doing something is usually much worse than doing it.''
Mr Oliver will narrate Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf in the NZSO's Tall Tales and Tangos, at the Dunedin Town Hall on Tuesday, and in the Balclutha War Memorial Hall on Friday.
''I'm not nervous yet. It's all quite exciting and new to me at the moment. I'm sure I'll be a bit nervous on Saturday, though.
''It's something different for me, because I'm doing something fictional. Usually, when I speak in public it is something literal, about something I've done.''
Mr Oliver played 59 matches for the All Blacks and 127 games for the Highlanders between 1996 and 2007 and enjoyed watching the Otago rugby team win the Ranfurly Shield after 55 barren years.
''There was a bit of pressure put on me to come back and join in the celebrations. It's really good to finally get the monkey off our back. Now we have the opportunity to reset and push play,'' he said.
Mr Oliver was looking forward to catching up with Otago rugby coach Tony Brown in Dunedin next week.
''I was best man at his wedding and he's had a new child since then whom I haven't met yet.''
Conductor Tecwyn Evans is also looking forward to returning to Dunedin.
''It's always nice to be back home,'' Mr Evans said.
''I haven't conducted there for a couple of years now. I think the last thing I did in New Zealand was the 2011 Rugby World Cup final.''
The programme is selections from The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky), Ring Round the Moon (Farquhar) and Peter and the Wolf (Prokofiev).
A pre-concert talk will be held at 5.45pm in Dunedin and 6.15pm in Balclutha, when bass player Malcolm Struthers will interview Messrs Evans and Oliver.
