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Pablo Matera relieved to join Crusaders after challenging year
The Crusaders have finally unveiled new signing Pablo Matera eight months after announcing they had signed him, but the Los Pumas star is simply relieved to be in Christchurch.
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Matera is arguably the headline signing of the Super Rugby Pacific off-season after joining the Crusaders from French club Stade Francais for next year’s inaugural edition of the revamped competition.
The Canterbury-based franchise announced the signing of Matera way back in April, but only now has the 28-year-old loose forward made his way to Kiwi shores on the back of a difficult test campaign marred by Covid-19 disruptions.
Those disruptions included MIQ difficulties upon entry to New Zealand, which came on the back of a lengthy global road trip with Los Pumas, leaving Matera doubtful that his highly-anticipated move to the Crusaders would even come to fruition.
“It was a big challenge. My partner made it possible, to be honest, because we had to move from Paris to Argentina and then from Argentina coming here,” Matera told reporters in Christchurch on Tuesday.
“Obviously with Covid and getting a spot in MIQ and everything, it was quite challenging, but we put in a lot of effort and made it happen, so I’m really glad. I’m really glad we’re finally here.
“We started talking with everyone six months ago, and I really didn’t know if it was going to be possible because everyday things change and it was getting harder and harder.
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“I’m really glad I’m here and really happy I received a lot of support to be able to arrive and be here. I’m really glad to be here.”
Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson is equally pleased that his marquee signing is now in the Garden City two months out from the beginning of the new campaign.
Matera is primed to play a crucial role in the Crusaders’ quest for a sixth title in as many years, but he faces stiff competition for places in the franchise’s loose forward stocks.
All Blacks rookie Ethan Blackadder is also expected to dominate in the back row, while one-test wonder Cullen Grace and rising star Tom Christie will no doubt be eager to enhance their cases for All Blacks call-ups.
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Depth of that quality in a positional area where there is a high injury toll leaves the Crusaders in a strong position, which is an aspect of his side that Robertson is excited about.
The recruitment of Joe Schmidt has been widely heralded as a coup for the All Blacks, and Ian Foster has outlined why exactly that is. #AllBlacks https://t.co/SPHj6oPbi1
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 14, 2021
“That’s the good thing about his experience, coming in and playing international rugby, and all of the three loose forward positions, is really important for us,” Robertson said of Matera.
“There are high-attritional players in that position, so you normally lose one or two loose forwards over the season and you need depth.
“Losing Tom [Sanders] and Whetu [Douglas] to Japan, when the opportunity came [to sign Matera], it was pretty clear with Pablo.
“What I really loved when Pablo mentioned that one of the reasons he’s coming over was he wanted to learn to be a better player.
“Obviously to win championships as well, but to learn and help his own game as well, and he said he believed he could help us and our group.
“I talked to a few of the leaders about the opportunity coming over, and it was ‘yes’ straight away, they didn’t hesitate. We know what we’ll gain from him and the experience he’ll get for us and gain for himself as a player.”
For Matera, the allure of playing for the most successful franchise in Super Rugby history proved an opportunity too good to pass up, especially after the axing of his Jaguares side in the wake of the pandemic.
“Everybody knows the Crusaders. I’ve known the Crusaders since I was a young kid watching TV,” he said.
“I was really lucky to be able to play against them, something that we in Argentina always thought was impossible, but with the Jaguares, being able to be in the competition for a couple of years, it was a dream come true to play against them.
“I never thought I was going to be able to actually play for them, so I thought that the dream had already come true, but now I think there is something more to lose. I am really glad to be here and have the opportunity to be here.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Je suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
25 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
25 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
25 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
25 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
11 Go to comments