Renowned touchline specialist, UBB second row Guido Petti explains his point of view on this very particular sector of play. He also reveals what his inspirations are.
Your start to the week was special, since you were called up for Argentina. How did you organize yourself?
I spent the start of the week with Argentina in Italy and I returned to Bordeaux this Thursday. I am with UBB for the match against Clermont, then I will join the selection on Sunday, in Italy. We will play Italy, Ireland and France so, for the next few weeks, I will organize myself according to whether I am called or not.
You suffered a concussion against La Rochelle on the seventh day of the Top 14 and you still bear the scars of this shock. How do you feel now?
I didn't feel anything at the time. I was in a fog for a few seconds and then it was better. I never felt bad and haven't had a headache since. I had an x-ray and had stitches. All the tests subsequently went well and I am now fit and available to play.
Also read:
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Is it particularly frustrating for you to miss matches with UBB when you were already unavailable at the start of the season because of the Rugby Championship?
Yes, but this time I only missed a week due to the injury and the season is still long. These are things that happen to all players. Everyone has glitches, little wounds. The annoying thing is that I felt good.
Do you understand that it makes some supporters angry to see Argentinian players unavailable at the start of each season due to the Rugby Championship?
It's like this… We're just missing four games in September and we're away on the November tour. When you see the European internationals, they miss matches during the November tour but also during the 6 Nations Tournament! It remains frustrating because you want to play everything but it's impossible. The season is very long, there are 26 Top 14 matches, so there are still matches to play.
You are personally renowned as a fingerboard specialist. Do you accept this label?
Yes, I think that has always been my strength since I played rugby, especially at international level. It's an area of play that I pay close attention to, where I feel good. Every team I played with counted on me for the sideline. It gives me a lot of responsibility and I like that. That's also why I got a taste for it. It's a difficult sector, especially in the Top 14, which is a championship in which, every weekend, there are analysts who study the opposing teams. You have to work to improve with each match so that the team feels more and more comfortable with the mechanism you have created. That’s the responsibility of the side captain.
In a key, what makes the difference? Analysis, leadership or an innate sense of timing?
A bit of everything! Analysis is very important but there is also experience and collective feeling. There are many ways to play the role and you have to be able to identify which system the team is most comfortable with. Each group and each leader has their preferred functioning. There is no bad strategy, you just have to find the one that best suits the team. This is the main challenge to overcome.
Mentally, if you miss a tackle, do you feel like you can make it up to the team if you steal a ball into touch?
No, I wouldn't say it “catches up” to me, because I'll still be upset if I miss a tackle. In my head, the touch is something special, which is apart from my match. I try to be perfect on the sidelines because it's my responsibility. I don't mix that with tackling or running with the ball. For me, there are two matches in one and I know that where I am most important is on the sidelines. This is an area in which the team is counting on me. When the touchline works, the mauls advance and we put three-quarters in the best conditions to start the game, it helps me to perform well elsewhere.
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Where does this passion for the fingerboard come from?
When I started to really get into it, the side captains in Argentina were “Corcho” Fernández Lobbe and Leonardo Senatore. I learned to be in alignment with them. These are great players that I admired when I was little. When I saw the leadership of these people, I began to love the touch. I also quickly saw that it could become a strong point. Ever since I was little, I've loved jumping, moving around and being in line. It's a place where there is a psychological battle with the opposing team. More and more, it's a very important part of rugby because it allows you to have possession.
As with a penalty in football, you have to get into the head of the opposing team captain. Are you in some way the Emiliano Martinez of rugby (the goalkeeper of the Argentinian football team)?
(Laughs) Emiliano Martinez is too much anyway! I'm not like him but I too have a special job in the field and I have a responsibility.
Can not having a good alignment cause you to lose a title?
It's like the scrum or the mauls. When you're dominated, it's hard in the head. I always say that there are a lot of rules and things to look at in rugby but ultimately it's a very simple sport. The team that wins is the one that dominates the contacts. These contacts are almost everywhere: in the scrum, in the sidelines, in the rucks… If you don't have a good touch, you lose the duels and the ball. The touch can therefore win or lose a championship.
During the Rugby Championship, the Springboks surprised everyone by creating a combination with two jumping blocks against the All Blacks. What does this inspire you?
There's nothing in the rules that prohibits it. I'm one of those who say it's good to try anything that doesn't break the rules. It's good that there are always innovations, new things to surprise the other team. There are also some combinations that you only use for a particular match. So you have to be focused on defense and expect everything.
A few years ago, the UBB counter was the best in the championship, including you and Cameron Woki. What made it work so well?
It wasn't just because of Cameron and I: we had a team that was connected. When there are several of us jumpers who are comfortable in this sector of the game, it’s obviously a plus. Obviously, I remember that with Cameron and Alexandre Roumat, we were perhaps not very strong but we were very comfortable jumping. This is why we were able to counter balloons. There are teams that don't have a lot of jumpers but when you get down there, they smash you on mauls. Every team is different.
This season, UBB seems to have more difficulty, as shown by your six stray balls in the area against Pau…
This exercise has just begun. We can still improve and adjust. It is up to leaders to take responsibility for putting things in place to be better. Everything is not going to be perfect but you have to be ready for the end of the season. We also have very good jumpers like Temo Matiu.
You are reaching the end of your contract at UBB. Do you know what your future will hold?
I live in the present moment and I don't yet know what I will do at the end of the season. I haven't spoken with UBB yet. I've just returned to the club after the Rugby Championship, so I haven't had any contact on that yet. I just think about playing, feeling good. I hope things go well afterward.
