Guido Petti press conference | Harlequins v Gloucester

Guido Petti Pagadizábal sat down with the press to preview Saturday's Gallagher PREM contest as Harlequins welcome Gloucester to The Stoop (21 March, KO 15:00).

The second row covered a range of topics including:

• Feeling rested and recovered
• Progress through PREM Cup period
• Importance of executing the basics
• Experiencing the Cornish coast
• Striving for consistency
• Adapting to the Gallagher PREM
• Honour of representing Los Pumas

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

And Phil, I'll let you lead off again, mate. Oh, okay, thank you. Um Gile, good afternoon. How are you?

SPEAKER_00 0:09

I'm really good. Happy to be back and uh premiership starting, so really excited.

SPEAKER_02 0:15

Excellent. Um have you had a good break of a bit of a chance to refresh?

SPEAKER_00 0:20

Yes, I had. So it was really nice going back home, uh having time for with my family and uh and friends. Uh it gives you some energy. Uh I think the Argentinians we were like uh quite uh in our own with a couple of matches already on our back, so it was really good to relax and now and have and I had also to some time to prefer uh to prefer like physically just uh some cardio in Argentina around that and the gym just to get feedback also to to be here in good shape.

SPEAKER_02 0:51

You you talk about the f the physically getting yourself you know back into shape after after you know that it's a very challenging sport, but also mentally, how important is it to have an opportunity to just take a breath?

SPEAKER_00 1:05

Yeah, I think it's the most important is mentally, because uh when you're good mentally, the the body follows always, so uh hopefully it will it will be like that, and I think we'll now it's on us uh to bring that energy that we have uh in the second period of the season and uh yeah, and finish good that we know that in the league at least uh we didn't do well, done great uh the first part of the year.

SPEAKER_02 1:30

I mean, obviously, you know, and we know what you can do as a group and and and as a team. Possibly we've not seen it as much as you would like us to, and you would like to see. Did there a belief though that you can finish this season strongly?

SPEAKER_00 1:46

Yeah, for sure. I think we we are building up. As you know, me I was like having the time free with the Argentinians, but I think Gilly done a great job here with Dom, with Alex, uh with Homers and the rest of the guys, some of the leaders, of course, some of the English guys also went away with with England, but I think with the with the base here that that they have, uh they they've done a uh like a really clear job in these five weeks while uh was the Prem Cup going. So I think it's all all about building uh in this team. So I think we are in that progress, and hopefully we'll take it uh in this weekend and improving uh week by week until the end of the year, because we have really nice matches for us, so yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:40

So these two games uh in the pr uh in the premiership act as a way to really get some momentum ahead of the sale game.

SPEAKER_00 2:47

I think it would be it would be uh really nice to start with uh with with legs like that with two wins, or it would be fantastic. There are two great matches to play, one in the stupo, one in Cardiff in an amazing stadium against uh one of the best teams in England in in the liga, at least at the moment. So uh I think we are really looking forward to it, but I don't think we need to to think like really far away. I think uh we should we need to go week by week because uh you know this is rugby, and uh it's even day by day that you need to train and prepare yourself because uh thinking too far away and thinking like blocks sometimes it can be like really tricky. So I think we need to put a nice performance this weekend against uh Gloucester and then start building up from there again. Uh for sure we'll get some of the England guys back with us. Uh the Argentinas will be back, so we need also to put ourselves back in the team and be really like uh uh with our heads back because you know when you know that it shifts completely, so yeah, really looking forward to it anyway, and really exciting weeks coming.

SPEAKER_02 3:57

Hopefully, uh the conditions will be good, the conditions will allow for the sort of rugby that you want to play as Quinns, but to earn that right, you have to win the battle up front, you have to win those the set Ps, you have to win the breakdown to then play the way you want to do. So you've got to get those fundamentals right.

SPEAKER_00 4:15

Yeah, for sure. Uh the basis in the rugby are the most important thing. Uh you can you can do whatever you want that without uh scrum, line out, mole, and the rug. You can you cannot do nothing. And as we always say, or as I always say, uh rugby is a sports of contact, and if you don't win it, you you lose. So I think that's the the type of basis that we need to focus on too, and then whenever we have the that are that right that you are saying uh to play, then queens can be queens too.

SPEAKER_02 4:48

And just finally to me, a sort of away from the road that you mentioned those the opportunity to go back, see friends, see family, have a bit of downtime. What what else is your go-to when it comes to relaxing? What is it you you do to switch off all from the store?

SPEAKER_00 5:03

I played a tennis match that it was long uh long ago that I didn't. Uh I spend uh yeah, going going to eat some barbecues with my friends, spending time talking, uh yeah, just moments uh like that. Uh it's summer weather, so getting in the pool, just uh going out in the city, uh not not more than that to be honest. Really chill and getting some energy back.

SPEAKER_02 5:28

Sounds nice. So I wish I could have done that the last couple of weeks. It would have been good. Um but are you a barbecuer yourself or or do you let other people do it?

SPEAKER_00 5:36

Unfortunately, I'm not. Uh I there's always some uh guys that are that are much better than me in my group of friends, so it wouldn't be me, me. I I could I can help cutting and taking it to the table but not uh cooking it. But uh but I will be there always for the for the cooking man to to win his side.

SPEAKER_02 5:56

Yeah. Yeah, you're you you prefer sampling it and telling them how good they are.

SPEAKER_00 6:00

Exactly, exactly that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:02

Excellent, excellent. Good luck at the weekend, thank you for your time.

SPEAKER_00 6:04

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 6:06

Hola Guido.

SPEAKER_00 6:08

Hi. Yes, good Spanish, eh?

SPEAKER_01 6:11

Oh a little bit. Yeah. Um a little bit, not much. Um that sounds about right with the barbecues in Argentina, because when I spoke to Pedro Violo at the start, the sticky, he says much because the steak is so much better in Argentina. Does that sound about right?

SPEAKER_00 6:34

It sounds about right, but I think the the meat that you eat here in London, it will be Argentinian too. It's not from here, so so you can get good meat. It's true that we don't cook it, we don't cook it in the same way, that's the problem. But I think here it's amazing meat too. I'm not going to criticize um the London meat.

SPEAKER_01 6:54

You're a good politician.

SPEAKER_00 6:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:56

Was that your first time in Cornwall a couple of weeks ago? Had you been to the English seaside before?

SPEAKER_00 7:03

No, it was my first time, so it was really really nice. I actually was not uh expecting the that type of water around here, like really clear and uh and everything, so it was really nice to get to know it. For sure it was not uh as busy as it should be in summer and not as nice weather, but uh still really nice to get there and had a had a time, uh really nice time with the boys. Uh I think it was also nice being uh and living with them apart like from the training and rugby. So it's nice to have this type. This I think this these type of things for the team really are really good. We also had a lot of young guys there from the academy and everything, so it was really nice getting to know more deeply everyone to be like that.

SPEAKER_01 7:51

Jason said that some of the senior players organized trips to the beach, fishing ships, etc. You're one of the more senior players, but you're also new to Harlequins this season. So do you organize things at the club or do you let people organize things for you?

SPEAKER_00 8:05

No, I think I wouldn't step in and getting to organise a lot of things because I I don't know if I if I would be good at that. I think my role maybe being the old one is uh more in the in the in the field uh being a leader or in that type of moments, but uh when it comes to London and the life in general, I can give my my advice, but not uh not in London.

SPEAKER_01 8:29

Yeah. And you said that in the time that you went back to Argentina, you felt that things had changed at the club in a good way, that Gilly had done really good work with the boys. Can you tell me a bit more about that?

SPEAKER_00 8:40

Yeah, I think I think we we were really clear with the block of five weeks what we wanted to do, the the objectives that we had, what we wanted to put on the field. And of course, it was not maybe the first team, and a lot of uh but I think when it comes to the team and what we are building, it's really important also from the young guys to have it and to have the minutes uh playing, and this also gets like gets you when you come back to be a little more everything more organized, the the play and everything. So, and I think a lot of the objectives that we that we had in the five looks are going to be transmitted maybe in the like uh in playing in in this uh following weeks, so it's really good to like make a continue of the progressing in this in these weeks.

SPEAKER_01 9:25

With all of these amazing young talents coming through and getting their opportunities at Harlequins, how important are experienced players like you, like Joe Launchbury, like Marcus Smith, who who know how it feels to win, because there are boys playing at the moment who haven't won very often in a Harlequin shirt, even though they're fantastic players.

SPEAKER_00 9:44

Yeah. It's good to also know how bad it feels uh losing, so you don't want to have it anymore, to be honest, too. So uh they can have that medicine for sure these six months are past, but they also have maybe the experience in the Champions Cup where we've done great, where you have great wins in La Rochelle that is really difficult to win over there. So I think we have a little couple. I think uh what they for sure need to understand, and everyone needs to understand here is that in this sport, if you don't have the consistency, you cannot do nothing. So it's not playing good one weekend and the other one being horrible, it's just uh trying to sustain what you are what you are building up with the team and just uh improving every week, and it's not because you want one weekend that uh next uh next week you are going to do well. It's just getting on Monday, eight o'clock in the morning, preparing again the the other week as it was like from zero, and I think that's the mentality maybe uh we we need to have as a group every uh every week uh to to keep on progressing and try to be better as individuals and as a team uh every day.

SPEAKER_01 10:52

That's brilliant, Guido. Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_00 10:55

Pleasure.

SPEAKER_03 10:56

Hi Guido, how are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 10:57

Good and you?

SPEAKER_03 10:58

Yeah, very well, thank you. Uh I won't attempt any Spanish.

unknown 11:02

You'll just laugh. Um so you this is your first season, obviously, in England. Uh how have you found it uh from a playing point of view?

SPEAKER_00 11:11

Is it is it different to how you thought it would be or no no, it's uh it's really tough. Uh I think the Liga. Yeah, I wouldn't say like uh of course maybe the you can say it's different to the top 14, but the but the level is great. I think the the running in here is much more intense than in top 14. Maybe top 14 is a little bit slower, while here maybe you the you will find more kicking. But in the same time, I would say in Queens it doesn't happen, so uh it's like a little bit of a mixed uh uh feeling. But yeah, I'm really liking the tournament, it's really competitive and uh yeah, trying to and wanting uh willing uh to to have a better second year with the team and put Harley Queens where where we where we deserve, and not where we deserve because you deserve what you have are where we want to be.

SPEAKER_03 12:02

Yeah, and and how you play on the pitch is often reflected by how things are off the field. Has it helped you that there's a big contingent of Argentinian players in the Queens squad?

SPEAKER_00 12:14

Well, I can't say the question I didn't understand.

SPEAKER_03 12:17

Um so away from rugby, um, have you settled in well? Has it helped that there's lots of Argentinian players in the squad?

SPEAKER_00 12:25

Yeah, actually, Rodrigo that has been here uh since last uh last year, it was really helpful just for us to be introduced in the team. Maybe for me, because my English is uh I don't know, you will tell me, but uh I I went to an English school, so it's uh it's quite okay, so I didn't have problem to communicate or to start being start building my life in here. But maybe for Boris San Pedro that are not as are not as good because they didn't have the opportunity to maybe tell it when they were young, uh it was a little bit more difficult for them, but uh in the end I think now they are getting more comfortable with the team, with the relationships with the staff, uh learn uh like learning and everything the rugby around here, so I think uh for sure it's like uh learning and and getting better for them too. And I think around apart from rugby, we have some time some time off for sure that we that we get on together, so we really enjoy it too. So I think it's a really nice club and a really nice city to be around, and yeah, of course, enjoying also the Argentinian uh companionship.

SPEAKER_03 13:30

Yeah, and it's not just the Harley Queen, there seems to be more Argentina players throughout the premiership than recent years.

SPEAKER_00 13:38

Yeah, it's true, and uh because we know also Luza Cintia and Juan Gonzalez from Saracens, we we get together with them too. Uh maybe one of the I don't know, Simon uh the nine of the of Newcastle will come maybe a free weekend or a day off here to spend a day with us. Same with Santi Carreras coming from Bath or whatever, whenever we have like a weekend off or or a time to get together, we do it. And uh yeah, it's uh to the the the reality is that getting a train here is quite easy and quite quick, so you can do it whenever you want, and uh yeah, we do it quite often.

SPEAKER_03 14:14

Whereabouts in Argentina are you from?

SPEAKER_00 14:16

So I'm from Buenos Aires.

SPEAKER_03 14:18

Okay, I was hoping you're gonna say some one because um basically Argentina will play there in what will hopefully be your 100th cap.

SPEAKER_00 14:27

Okay, yes.

SPEAKER_03 14:28

Against Wales. Um on that subject, I mean we've had some recent Argentina players reach that milestone and and to join that very small band of players. Uh, I'd imagine you know it that will be a massive honor to you and your family.

SPEAKER_00 14:45

Yeah, for sure. Uh I don't know, we always say also like uh numbers are numbers, so you don't give like importance. Uh the reality is you wanna you wanna just play that match, and uh then the uh it's it's the same importance that I give to the nuns, I don't know, to the match number 99 or 100 or 50 or 55, because in the end uh you are getting the Argentina jersey, you're representing the same, it's I did it doesn't really matter uh the number, but yes, it's true that I'm maybe getting to 100 if it's possible. Um is maybe the consistency and the effort that you put every year to keep on getting those those matches and play for your country. So for sure it would be like a massive honor for myself uh in the effort that I put and all of the people around me that uh that sustained me and uh help me go through through this uh path uh with me.

SPEAKER_03 15:40

I'm not sure how much of the Six Nations you would have seen due to the fact you're in Argentina and relaxing away from rugby and maybe the broadcast deals didn't extend that far, I can't remember. But um if you did catch any of the Six Nations, it's always interesting to hear somebody from outside of the United Kingdom or France and Italy uh as to their opinion. Uh and I'd like to hear your opinion about the different locks that played in the Six Nations who really impressed you.

SPEAKER_00 16:10

So uh yes, I've seen a couple of matches, and uh I find I find it really amazing. And uh for me in the cup in the last years, I would say I don't know if it's uh I'm not happy for you, England that lost, but I would say it's the most uh competitive one that I've seen. I think uh while Wales won against Italy maybe in the last one, just getting that win, uh while Italy winning more matches than normally they do, improving a lot, while France uh maybe you know losing against Scotland in their field and then coming back to theirs, but winning in an amazing game just for two points against England that was maybe not at their best, but in the last match they showed that they were against the best, supposed best. So I think in in rugby, as I said like before, I think uh you know you get one weekend and you win by 50 points sometimes, and the other one, if you're not good, you lose by 40 points against maybe another team. So and it can happen in international and it can happen in team. Like I would say, like maybe us we we we find ourselves ninth in the league, but then you put an a massive massive performance in La Rochelle or against Bayonne your home by 60 points, or one can lose by 50, then they go against Toulouse, they win against Toulouse in top 14, and then Toulouse wins by 60 points, so it's really tricky. How can it change from weekend to weekend? So I think this type of rugby is also really interesting and really attractive to watch. So for the spectator, uh it's really it's really nice, and I think the Six Nations showed an amazing spectacle because uh you never knew what to expect in each weekend.

SPEAKER_03 17:49

Well, which player in your position really caught your eye?

SPEAKER_00 17:55

Yeah, just me. No, I'm joking. No, I would say the McCarthy in Ireland is uh is doing a great job, but just uh since a couple of uh years, of course, Mado is a great player and really consistent playing every every game every game. If I need to say here in uh in England and uh I don't know the French ones too. I think uh in France they've been changing a lot of them because they probably they put third rows instead of second rows sometimes, maybe another another game they put in second rows and another third row, so they they shift it a little bit, but uh I think what they pro what they put in in that just shifting and changing this type of uh different type of like uh players, it's uh really interesting too. But I wouldn't say like one name, I think uh yeah that you can play both, can't you?

SPEAKER_03 18:51

But you mostly play lock now, don't you?

SPEAKER_00 18:54

Yeah, so that this is what I I I've done in Bordeaux uh a lot of times, as playing flanker or uh second row, depending what the coach wanted uh in that uh in that game. If they wanted a heavy pack, maybe it was more flanker, if not no, or whatever they they wanted more speed or more were more people faster in the in the in the game. So yeah, it's uh it's nice having also the opportunity to be playing both, but I feel more comfortable in the second row because it's the thing that uh that I have done all my life, and I think I would prefer to to to play like that too, even if nowadays uh playing Locke and third row to be honest for me is quite similar. At least in my in my in my prototype as a player.

SPEAKER_03 19:36

Cool, thank you. I'll talk to you. Cheers.

SPEAKER_00 19:39

Thanks to you.

SPEAKER_03 19:40

Perfect, thank you very much, guys.

SPEAKER_00 19:42

Thank you.