Socino: I’m here to give Barritt a run for his money!
Jon Newcombe talks to the Pumas centre who is joining Saracens
JUAN Pablo Socino arrived in Hertfordshire in mid-June blinking into the sunlight not believing his luck, or just how good the weather was, even with a fortnight of isolation ahead of him.
The Argentinian centre, capped four times by the Pumas in 2015, must have thought his rugby career was winding down when he left Edinburgh at the end of last season for the relative backwater of El Salvador in Spain.
However, now 33, he is looking forward to rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s best players as he bids to end his playing days on a high with double European and Premiership champions Saracens.
While Saracens’ relegation to the Championship next season is already confirmed, they still have plenty to play for – not least the quarter-final of the Heineken Champions Cup away to Leinster, on September 19.
“I was delighted when the opportunity came,” Socino, below, said. “Me and my wife, Carola, knew what it meant at this stage of my career because of Saracens’ place in English and European rugby. Not many players come from Spain to potentially being involved in a European quarter-final.
“To be a part of that would be great. If I am not involved, I’ll just help out the team. It is a huge opportunity especially with what happened to the club in the Premiership. With where I came from last year, for me it is even bigger. I can’t wait to get things going.”
Socino will be up against none other than soon-to-beretired Sarries captain Brad Barritt, for the inside centre berth at Sarries.
The muchtravelled Puma recognises the depth of talent throughout the squad but is prepared to battle for a spot in the team. You look around in training and there’s eight players who played in the World Cup around you, so this is a great opportunity for me to push myself, learn and compete for a shirt.
“I want the 12 shirt, I want to be first option every game, I am just as ambitious as ever, maybe even more so with what happened two years ago when things didn’t work out at Edinburgh. This is another chance for me.”
Socino got precious little game time at Edinburgh having made the short trip across the border from Newcastle. Before that, Socino made a name for himself in the Championship with Nottingham and Rotherham, following previous spells in France and Wales.
The Buenos Aires native is not the only Puma with wanderlust, many more are expected in Europe with the Jaguares out of Super Rugby.
Five Argentinians in addition to Socino have signed for Premiership clubs, notably Agustin Creevy (London Irish) and Matias Moroni (Leicester).
And Socino believes many more will follow suit in the months to come.
“Unfortunately, with things how they are with Covid and Super Rugby not being there anymore at the minute, it is really frustrating for the boys,” he said.
“I speak to my brother (Pumas hooker, Santi) every day and it is getting to the point where they just want to go where they can train and play at as high a level as possible.
“The Argentinian Union understand that, even though they’d like to keep the players, because they know they don’t have a competition to offer to them, and at the end of the day, you need your players playing against the best to then go and play internationals.
“That’s why you are probably going to see even more players going, whether that is to England or France.”