Having spent last week getting his conditioning up, Juan Martin Hernandez, the latest recruit to The Sharks camp, is now looking to bring his special brand of magic to his new side. We caught up with him and found out a little more about him.
Are you settling in OK? Yes, very well, people have been great to me. I’m staying in Umhlanga, which I like and the people have all been very friendly. The weather is perfect, everything is really nice.
You’re from Buenos Aires right? Is the weather better than French winters? Yes, the weather is similar to here in winter, maybe a little colder, it’s not that bad.
However, a lot different to playing in France right, especially in winter? In Paris, it’s cold for five months. Imagine for five months it’s -1 or -2 degrees, you can’t catch the ball. If you are having a bad season and the coaches get angry, they give you contact sessions, that’s not good at all!
I believe your family is arriving quite soon to join you here in Durban? Yes, I hope so. I have a wife and 4 month old son and I am looking forward to it. As soon as I am settled in, they’ll be here.
The conditions in South Africa, especially in winter are a lot better to what you’re used to, that must be pleasing ahead of playing in the Currie Cup? I’m looking forward to playing in the conditions, but first I have to train and then the coaches have the choice of whether to put me in the team or not. And if I am in the team, depending on how the team plays, if the weather is OK and the match is open, I will be very happy to play.
Would you have considered playing in Australia or New Zealand, or was the pull of Currie Cup rugby important? I was lucky enough to have a chance to watch Currie Cup rugby when I was younger in Argentina, and I always thought it was a great competition, very prestigious, not only for South Africans but also for us in Argentina where we watched it all weekend. It’s a good thing I’m here, not just for the Super 14 but also the Currie Cup and to try to be successful with The Sharks.
Your team mates now at The Sharks were players you played against in the Rugby World Cup, losing to the Springboks in the semifinals. How does that feel to be playing with and not against them? No hard feelings! They are great players, I’ll be honoured to play with them at this level. Sometimes they say it makes it easier – I hope so.
What are your recollections of the Rugby World Cup?
Argentina did extraordinarily well, but lost to the Springboks in the semifinals. When you think back, what are your thoughts and feelings of the tournament? [He shakes his head and points to the goosebumps on his arms] – You know when you play rugby, you aim to play for the first team, and then it is the national team, then it’s the World Cup and it’s like a dream when you actually get there. Imagine someone takes your dream away in 80 minutes, it’s the worst thing in the world.
South Africa are a great team, a world champion side, but it was the worst match we played in the World Cup. Maybe it was
South Africa who played well and it was not a good day for us. But we lost, they took our dream away.
I’m sorry about that. But still, as a rugby team,
Argentina was a good team, we’ve done well. It was touching the moment we left after the final, some of the players were retiring, some would never play for the team again. It was touching saying goodbye to them because it had been such a good three months for all of us, it was a nice moment.
You played with Shaun Sowerby at Stade Francais, he also played for The Sharks. What do you think of him? He is now playing for Toulouse. He is a very intelligent player. He is capable of passing, kicking, making the decisions, a really good player. He’s doing really well now. I also played with Brian Liebenberg, he is a good friend of mine.
You played at The Absa Stadium Durban in a curtain-raiser for a Super 12 match some years back, so you’re not a complete stranger here are you? That’s right, I was playing for Argentina Under 19s, it was when the Hurricanes played The Sharks, in 2001, Jonah Lomu played that day. We drew our match against The Sharks Under 21s. It was a very good experience. I went and bought some souvenirs in the Sharks Cage afterwards [laughs].
Your nickname is El Mago – The Wizard – how do you feel about that? I don’t like that name. I don’t feel comfortable with it. Juan is OK.
You will also be doing some work with TheSharks Academy, tell us a little more? Rudolf Straeuli asked me if I could do some kicking with the youngsters and I said OK. When I was in
Argentina as an Under 19 club player, I used to train the Under 16 side and it was a good experience. How do you feel speaking in your third language (English) after Spanish and French?
I prefer speaking English, even though I have spoken French for the last six years. I think I will become more fluent in the next few weeks.
Mirag tietkoppe… Wat gaan hier aan dat hier niks aan gaan nie?
31 – Cuzzmeister,
Naand… flok, jy moet vroeër hier kom inval, jong !
#31 Middag Babertiet,
hu lykkit?
KP jy raak nou soos Cele, hy ontken wathy oor die radio gese het!
Sien ou KP se span is so kak, hy soek nou al girls!!
Ek hoor nounet dat Kokkerot beseer is…. MacLeod gaan Hernandes se scrummie wees die naweek !
#34 AB
KP gaan nou moet begin mooi praat.
Ed,
Nee dit gaan ok tinktinkie vfoorvelletjie… Het gou so 9 holes gaan speel om van my vreeslike stress ontslae te raak!
AB
Ja, darem iets wat ek by die ANC fokkers geleer het.
AB
Faaark broer jy moet nie hier sit en chat nie, gaan maak jou kateter leeg…Hehehehe!!
#38 Cuzzy
Jammer jy kan nie so vinnig 9 hier in Boston kom speel nie. Ek is lus vir ‘n maklike game. 😀
Fern, Is jy daar?
ED,
Bwaahahahahha!!! Ja weer n hooflyn na bo gehad op my game vandag, glad nie happy nie 👿
Hey Cuzzie
FOK JOU!!!!
Fok waar is varing??? Bel hom nou die dag, hy tel nie eers sy foon op nie die tiet!!
KP,
Pasop ek stuur die link vir jou vrou!! Dan sien ons wie se “fok jou”…Hehehe
Ja Cuzzy, daai game breek my makliker as wat vroumense kan. Een dag reguit en ver, volgende dag skeef en kuk.
En Eddie
Gaan roep bietjie die ander 50% van die Lion supporters sodat ek julle bietjie kan kak gee!! Om op julle eie veld teen die Griekwas te verloor!!! Wat ‘n fokken skande!! t
46
Ja, dan gaan ek ook seks is die gang hê
Soggens as ek haar in die verbygaan groet, dan antwoord sy my met ‘n “Fok Jou”
#48 KP
Bwahaahaha. Is jy sensitief vandag KP? Sorry man. Ek gooi nou dadelik daai post van jou weg. 😀
KP,
Pasop vir die spott oor die leeus teen die Griekwas, julle speel hulle volgende… Puke Watson sal moet perform…
P.S Luke en Andries is twee moerse buddies!
ED nee fok daai game vandag. Het n 40 gespeel met 1 ses en een ring!!!
#52
‘n 40. Nee wat. Ek kan geld maak met hierdie storie.
51# Dis mos wat ek heelpad se, maar die manne glo my nie.
Langbek en Lukas loop saam…..
Pieta,
Nee stem saam, Guttie het my gese… Ross Skeate is ook n groot pel van hulle.
ED,
Soos ek vandag gespeel het sou my kind my geld gevat het!! 🙁
#56
Cuzzy, ek sou al die drinks kon na die tyd.
50
hehehe, glad nie. Soos jy se, ons moet hulle nog speel.
51
Ek dink werklik ons het te veel skietgoed vir die Kwas, en Puke is nie eers een van hulle nie. Kyk uit vir Tiaan Lieb, ons twee slotte, Vermeulen en Louw. Agterlangs behoort ons ook te veel skietgoed te he. Ek het egter baie respek vir daai skrumhalf van hulle, maar Olivier gaan knak onder presure.
Flok, bel Handbiekie my nou…… ek moet self sien-kom-klaar vir kos vir vanaand…. sy moet as VIP een of ander skool se Revue gaan bywoon vanaand…
So, ek moer en soek weer deur die yskas en die spens vanaand………
Donnorrrrrrrrrrrr !!
55# Ag toggie, moet tog nie eens met Ross Skeate begin nie….hulle dra dieselfde tattoos en rokkies, hy en Lukas, dieselfde wannabee Skotse gilde…
Ek is net bly hulle waai Barth toe, beide van hulle, op Lukas se wittebrood…..
Langbek sal seker ook agterna draf binnekort.
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