Tomás Lavanini: The 'big difference' between Top 14 and Super Rugby

Los Pumas lock Tomás Lavanini has been named for his Highlanders debut against the Crusaders in Christchurch, and the 33-year-old says his reintroduction to the Super Rugby game has hit hard.

The 91-cap Argentine has fond memories of Super Rugby from his time with the Jaguares, for whom he played 49 games. His Highlanders debut in Christchurch this weekend will come as his 50th Super Rugby appearance.

The Christchurch venue will host only two more Crusaders games before One New Zealand Stadium opens in time for round 11, and Lavanini has a storied history at the current makeshift ground. In 2019, it hosted the Super Rugby final, where the Crusaders beat the Jaguares, and in 2022, it hosted a historic fixture as the Pumas beat the All Blacks on Kiwi soil for the very first time. Lavanini started both games.

While some time has passed between those two famous contests and Saturday’s southern derby, Lavanini knows what to expect, with the past three months of training with the Highlanders serving as a strong reminder of the pace of Super Rugby.

The lock, who has been named to start in the No. 5 jersey on Saturday night, said there’s a “big difference” between training at his former Top 14 clubs of Lyon and Clermont, and training under Jamie Joseph in Dunedin.

“It’s quicker; don’t think too much, just go, go and go,” Lavanini told reporters this week. “That’s the most difficult part, because in France, you maybe have a little bit more time to react. Here, you must be quick.

“But I prepared well for two months, so I’m ready.”

The two-meter-tall lock has had to bide his time over the first four rounds of the season, getting up to speed with the Highlanders’ development team, the Bravehearts. Lavanini expressed “no frustration” with the call to delay his debut, saying, “I respect the coach and the decision of the coach.”

Now at his seventh professional club, Lavanini says the Highlanders have made him feel at home in New Zealand’s Deep South, with his kids picking up English well, complementing the Spanish and French they already speak.

Having now found his “rhythm”, Lavanini is excited to reach a new milestone in his career, one that has been a long time coming.

“I was waiting for the moment,” he said of playing his 50th Super Rugby game. “It didn’t happen in the Jaguares, but it’s happening here, so I’m happy.

“Sometimes it’s just a number, but it’s a special number. To get my 50th game here is very special, especially with my family here. I’m really happy with the opportunity, so it’s time to take it.”