Petti is a young man in hurry to reach top
GUIDO Petti is a young lock in a hurry. If England want evidence of just how quickly he can move then have a look at the video clip of the stunning try he scored for Argentina against France in Tucuman during their 30-19 first Test win of Les Bleus’ summer tour.
When Petti receives a pass just inside the French half he bursts past one French defender, but you think that like most locks he will soon start to slow and be cut down. Instead, he burns off one chaser and then slips into overdrive accelerating in to his long stride like a 400 metre runner to leave two more French backs – one of whom is fly-half Jules Plisson – in the starting blocks as he races clear to score.
It was not the first try Petti, who was 22 on Thursday, has scored for Argentina. That came last year, on his World Cup debut for the Pumas against New Zealand at Wembley.
He takes up the story: “I had quite a famous problem, because when I scored my try in the first half, Dan Carter kicked me unintentionally. I can’t fully remember after that.”
The reason why is because Carter’s shin collided with Petti’s head. He continues: “I had to leave the pitch, and missed the rest of the game. Despite it, I still have great memories. It was my World Cup debut, against the All Blacks – and at Wembley in front of 90,000 fans – and I managed to score a try. It was truly amazing.”
Petti acknowledges that last weekend’s 24-20 loss to Wales in Cardiff was less amazing.
“We had a great defence but very little possession, so we didn’t attack too much. I didn’t touch the ball much in attack, and we didn’t generate many breaks.”
At 6ft 4in and 17st (108kg) Petti is not the biggest lock, but his dynamism and mobility has marked him out as an exceptional talent. He has already turned down an offer from Toulon, and for the moment is dedicated to improving while playing at the highest level for Argentina.
“I played against two great Wales second rows (Alun Wyn Jones and Luke Charteris) last week, which is what we want to do to grow as a team and as players – to play the best, and learn.”
Petti accepts that the Pumas will find it tougher now that their Europeanbased stars cannot be selected, but he says the team still has a potent blend.
“We still have experienced guys like captain Agustin Creevy and Juan Leguizamon, so there is a great combination of young energy and experience, and we also have a great coach, Daniel Hourcade.
“Agustin is a great person who leads by example, and we do it not just for ourselves but for Argentina – for the players below us, and for the supporters.”
Petti adds that the game against England could be crucial in terms of the 2019 World Cup draw: “We are fighting to be in the top eight teams in the world rankings.
“England showed in the games against Australia in the summer that they have a strong defence, and I expected them to win against South Africa. The pack is very aggressive, and all the players are at a great level.”
Petti is a chip off the same block.