Argentina’s dramatic last gasp third test victory over Scotland in July ‘ate me up all summer’, said Zander Fagerson, and he wants redress at Murrayfield on Saturday.
Scotland led the final test in Santiago del Estero until the final play of the game. Edinburgh’s Emiliano Boffelli scored a try and converted it to give the Pumas victory in the match and the series.
‘We could have put that game to bed’
Scotland Head Coach Gregor Townsend shares his post-game thoughts on the third Argentina test.#AsOne pic.twitter.com/0hdiqU5IG7
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) July 17, 2022
That was a particular gut wrench for the Dundee-born British Lions prop, because it was his 50th international cap.
“It ate me up all summer,” he said. “We were in the game playing well but in that last twenty minutes or so we just fell away.
“They scored in the last play of the game. There were moments when we could have put that game to bed.
“We were held up over the line, discipline cost us. That one definitely hurt and I am looking forward to making amends tomorrow.”
That drift late in games has since been repeated against Australia and New Zealand this autumn, but the tight-head thinks it’s a question of trust rather than any psychological defect.
“I don’t think it’s an overriding issue,” he said. “It’s such a high-performance, high-pressure game these days it’s the smallest things.
“It’s all about being in the moment, sticking to our systems and processes. That’s where we sometimes get undone when boys try to solve things on their own.
‘You have to trust your team-mates’
.@ZanderFagerson loves his eggs for breakfast 🍳🏉
Having an understanding of nutrition vs demands is vital to performing as an athlete, including approaching nutrition with a food-first, but not food-only approach.@Nutrition_X are proud to fuel Zander and the Scotland team. pic.twitter.com/LqPU7YoDS6
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) November 15, 2022
“Sometimes when you’re over fatigued and under pressure you think you can solve things on your own. You have to trust your team-mates to go another phase.
“If you’re in the line and there’s already two people in the breakdown, you go in for a jackal, you’re just wasting another man.
“The strength of us is trusting our systems. When you try to solve things on your own that’s when we give away stupid penalties.
“That’s a key work-on for us.”
The squad’s newest assistant coach, mental skills expert Aaron Walsh, can help with this, reckons Fagerson.
“He’s addressed the troops in a team meeting as well as on an individual basis,” said Zander. “He isn’t going to start hassling you the whole time but if you want a one-to-one or a coffee you can go and catch up with him.
“Aaron’s approachable and easy to chat to. He’s been around baseball and other high performance sport for a while, he’s done stuff with the Chiefs (in New Zealand).
“He’s got a whole bunch of knowledge that you can tap into. For me it’s asking different questions, different scenarios, how different pros took them and methods he’s found that could be helpful for me.”
‘He’s come on leaps and bounds’
A special moment to be at Murrayfield 💛💙
Over 150 pupils headed to the capital on Sunday to cheer on 3️⃣ former pupils in the 🏴 squad as they faced 🇳🇿
Great to see @FagersonMatt, @ZanderFagerson and @Jamie_T_Ritchie in Doddie’s famous tartan 🥰#AsOne #Rugby@MNDoddie5 💛 pic.twitter.com/6BTzJnzxIG
— Strathallan School (@StrathallanSchl) November 15, 2022
Still only 26, Fagerson is one of the elder statesman and has taken fellow former Strathallan School and tight-head Murphy Walker under his wing.
“I love working with Murph, he is keen as mustard,” he said. “Compared to other front row props he is always keen to learn, picking everybody’s brains, asking for feedback on the scrum sessions.
“He has that appetite for learning which is the key thing for young players coming through. He’s a mobile prop and his scrummaging has come on leaps and bounds.
“I think the summer tour was massive for him, that training week in week out, that intensity. He has things to work on but he has come on and is getting his chance. I am really proud of him.”
He cringes a little that Walker called him his idol when he was a few years ahead ahead at Strath.
“I was a No 8 at Strath, come on!” he laughed. “I remember him coming through and his feet haven’t got any smaller! He had size 17 feet when he was 12.
“Hendo (Andrew Henderson, director of rugby at Strathallan) said to me, ‘he’s coming through, he’s doing the age-grade stuff’.
“I came to watch the Schools final here when he was captain of Strath and he had a great game, in the tight and the loose.
“He just needs to keep on going, keep working hard, keep learning and good things will happen.”