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'It's a good story, a good one for Michael to bring him back in'
London Irish have paid tribute to Agustin Creevy for forcing his way back on the Test rugby scene with Argentina, who open their Autumn Nations Series on November 6 with a game against England at Twickenham. The veteran hooker had played in all four of Pumas matches at the 2019 World Cup in Japan, but he then found himself frozen out of the squad by Mario Ledesma.
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It was October last year – two years after his caps tally had stalled at 89 – when Creevy sent a message to Ledesma via a RugbyPass interview. Asked if he was now officially retired from the international scene given that he hadn’t been capped at the time by the Pumas in 24 months, he replied: “No, no, no, I would like to play but at the moment the coaches have other priorities. I don’t know. You need to ask them.”
Ledesma wasn’t around for much longer to be asked that particular question as he quit as national team head coach following the 2021 Autumn Nations Series which concluded in a terrible hiding by Ireland in Dublin. His departure resulted in Michael Cheika, the former Australian boss, taking over Argentina and with it came a recall for the inspiring Creevy at the age of 37.
His comeback appearance came in the opening July Test match versus Scotland and after featuring in all three games in that series, Creevy went on to be capped on four more occasions in The Rugby Championship and he was then part of the 29-strong Argentina squad that assembled in Machester earlier this week.
Unlike the England squad who had the weekend off after their preparation camp in Jersey, Creevy came back to London to play off the Irish bench in Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match at Harlequins, underlining his commitment to the Exiles club he debuted for in August 2020 following the demise of the Super Rugby Jaguares in Buenos Aires.
Director of rugby Declan Kidney has now expressed his delight that the long Creevy wait for an international recall by Argentina came to fruition in recent months. “I understand why when you work with someone like that, it is a good one for Michael to bring him back in. He would be an excellent squad player, especially in the environment where the Argentinians are moving from hotel to hotel as you do at international level anyway but the Argentinians probably even more.
“He is just a very good person to have in and around the squad. He can mix having the fun – he is a bit old school in that way – but when it comes to being serious he is top notch and he shows all the younger fellas how to get it right then too.
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“It’s a good story to be out of the international scene for three years at his age – which I refer to as the second half of his career rather than putting any limit on it. I’m delighted for him but he works hard at it then too and he is brilliant around the younger fellas here.
“What he has done for them and what he has done for the other front row players here, he is generous with his time, he enjoys his rugby and you can’t actually beat that – if you are enjoying it that gives you longevity in anything. For those of us lucky to enjoy our jobs that is what keeps us at it.”
Asked why Creevy is enjoying such longevity in his career and has been able to impress for Argentina, Kidney added: “It’s more lifestyle really. He turns up for work, is at all the training sessions but he knows his body and knows what makes it work. When you deal with someone like that you can be respectful of it and it is important to work with the player and ask them what works.
“The only thing that really matters is what you allow them to produce on a Saturday. You can have all the best training sessions in the world Monday, Tuesday and Thursday but if you exhaust the player then that is no good. We talk through it and hopefully, that has been a small part of him getting to where he is.”
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Creevy wasn’t the only London Irish-based Argentinian away in Manchester in the early part of the week. Lucio Cinti and Juan Martin Gonzalez were also involved and Kidney takes heart from their fabulous work ethic. “They are brilliant,” he said.
“I know this sounds cringy but we are a team of Exiles with different nationalities. The Argentinians nearly play twelve months of the year. They are playing right through the whole year and it is important to look after them and give them their mini-breaks. A lot of them go two or three seasons without getting a full pre-season.
“That is why they can peak when it comes to the World Cup because that is when it is probably the one time they get time to physically build themselves up, but their attitude is brilliant. They enjoy playing, they are here to learn, they just love the game and they will do whatever it takes to be right for the team. They just have a real team ethic about them.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Really hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
83 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
83 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
4 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
4 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
4 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to comments