Much-travelled Guinazu feels right at home with Munster

Munster’s Argentinian hooker Eusebio Guinazu has done a share of travelling between clubs, from his home place of Mendoza through to French outfits Toulon, Agen, Toulouse and Biarritz, on to South Africa and the Stormers and latterly to Bath in the English Premiership.

But of all the places he has experienced in 11 years travelling through the rugby landscape, Munster seems the one club most like home.

Eusebio initially signed a short four-month deal with Munster as cover for the front row but he has now extended the deal at least until the end of the season. He’s glad his time in Cork and Munster has yet to end and a big night beckons for him in tomorrow night’s Guinness Pro12 clash with league leaders Glasgow at Musgrave Park (7.15pm).

“I am really happy here, I don’t know what I’ll be doing next season yet but I’m enjoying my rugby here, so I’ll see what happens. I found a few things in Munster that I think, in my own opinion, is quite difficult to find in professional rugby these days.

“It’s the mix between a really professional set up with a really — how can you call it — like an amateur mindset (ethos) and I’m saying that guys really love to play for their province. That’s the kind of feeling I had when I was playing in Argentina where rugby is not professional, where we played just because we love playing for our clubs and provinces.

“That is what I found here, guys are desperate to play for their province, they love the province that they are playing for and there is also a very professional set up here, which is fantastic. That’s how I grew up, my amateur background so that’s why I like it here.

“Basically, most of the guys are from here so they have that passion for the jersey they are playing for. I remember when I was a kid, my dream was to play for my province and they probably felt the same thing. In this sport that kind of feeling is really important and that passion mixed with the professional setup we have here is a great combination.”

Guinazu has so far had a memorable career and even at 33 hasn’t given up hope of adding to his 36 international caps, although he doubts it will happen.

Having said that, if Argentina desperately need a hooker, a loose head or tight head prop in the case of emergency during the World Cup, Guinazu could be their man, having played all three positions for the Pumas.

These days he has settled on hooker and explains why: “I grew up as a loosehead prop then with the U20s in Argentina I went to tighthead for two or three years. At some point then, everything got confused and I start playing everywhere (including hooker).

“I decided myself I had to stick to one position so I did it at hooker because it’s the one I consider has got more responsibilities. They also needed one in the Argentinian squad more and I made that call, and it worked well for me.”

He will get a chance to earn more stripes for Munster tomorrow night. “Glasgow are a great team, they’ve been playing really well. They’re a dangerous team, it’s a great opportunity for us to keep going up in the table.”