‘El Presidente’ Pucciariello happy with his Reds lifestyle
After travelling throughout Italy, England, France and now Ireland, he admits he’s the exploring type, saying: “I’ve been like that from as far back as I can remember; it has been a memorable journey.”
Shortly after his arrival in Parma, he met his future wife, Carlotte, an Italian fashion designer with whom he now has a young son. She took to the road with as much enthusiasm as Pucciariello, stopping first at French club Narbonne.
From there the family travelled to Gloucester and then on to Bourgoin before Munster signed him at the beginning of last season.
For now, the travels are over; he likes the lifestyle in Limerick and playing rugby with his Munster colleagues. Most of all, he cherishes thoughts of a day at the end of May when Munster finally won the Heineken Cup.
“That was a very happy day,” says Pucciariello. “Great for me, but I especially know what it meant for the other players who had been disappointed in two finals before.”
Federico is grateful for the support given him from the start of his latest adventure. Of his Munster colleagues, he said: “They are a very special bunch of people; I’m very glad I got a chance to come here.”
Pucciariello also believes it could be another standout year for the province.
“Last year’s win gave me the best feeling I have had in my career; I’d like to think that it could be repeated. I say, why not? The squad is very strong; there’s great experience and huge determination within the group.
“Nobody looks back to last year now; we’re competitors, everyone wants to move on and prove that this is a great squad.”
Pucciariello pointed to the great enthusiasm among the Irish players and bemoaned the fact that his Argentinean countrymen are being badly treated by officialdom.
While all his international caps came in the blue of Italy (his four grandparents are Italian), he is fiercely proud of Argentina and believes different attitudes in the higher echelons of the game would enhance the country’s prospects.
Referring to results this autumn he said: “I was very happy for the players, but not for the management. The Argentinean Rugby Union at the moment are doing everything against the players but the players, amazingly, responded positively against all the odds.”
He highlights the imperfections of the system for the top Argentinean players: “It’s not anything like an ideal world for them. In Ireland, players are given every chance to perform because of the way they’re managed. In Argentina, it should be impossible to get the best out of them, but they’re still capable of pulling surprises. I don’t know, maybe it’s the latin temperament; Argentina sometimes remind me of the French where one day they’re capable of beating the All Blacks before losing to a much lower level team the next.”
Some day, Pucciariello would like to put things right in his country, and not just in rugby. His ambition is to go back and enter politics, and he isn’t joking when he says his sights are set on the Presidency. He said: “I think nothing is impossible in this life. I believe in starting at the bottom; in rugby I set out in the second division in Italy and went up until I was in with the European champions. I don’t care much for easy missions.
“It’s not easy there (in Argentina), and it’s always hard to prove you’re an honest politician, but that’s what I would be.
“I was taught that by my family right through my life; they wouldn’t tolerate dishonesty and I wouldn’t tolerate it myself.”
His insistence on honesty might be why he appeared to chastise himself when sent to the sin bin in Cardiff last week.
“I was annoyed with myself and for what it meant to the other 14 players. I know I have to be more disciplined because I owe it to the rest of the team. It could have caused a lot of trouble for the team; happily they were able to cope with the pressure and Cardiff didn’t take advantage of us being a man short.”
Pucciariello will have time to assess the strengths and weaknesses of Cardiff from his position on the bench today, having given way to young Darragh Hurley, who makes his first Heineken Cup start. He is not underestimating the Blues, despite Munster’s victory in Cardiff last week.
“It was a tough match; they’re very physical and very competitive. I think we can win, and everyone is conscious of the great record at Thomond Park. But we have to play very well because they have nothing to lose at this stage. It’s a must-win game for them, and that makes them dangerous opponents.”
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