Juan Pablo Estevez
11/14/2020 5:50 PM
Clarín.com
sports
Updated 11/14/2020 5:51 PM
Every circle is ever closed and in this case it happened in one of the most traditional and recognized families of Argentine rugby, the
Cubelli
, because father Alejandro had stayed in '85 a few steps away from beating the All Blacks in that remembered match on the Ferro court and now his son Tomás dressed up as a hero by playing a great game and getting the first victory for Los Pumas against the New Zealand team.
"My friends sometimes in joda told me that I did not want the current Pumas to beat the All Blacks so that our record does not break, but nothing to see: I am happier than ever, I am very happy with the effort they made these guys. They filled the hearts of all of us, it's a tremendous pride. "
Alejandro is a man who emerged from
Belgrano Athletic
, like his two sons Tomás and Francisco, and in addition to having played for Los Pumas, he was manager in the 2011 World Cup when Tati Phelan was the team's coach: he has been linked to the world for a lifetime rugby.
Tomás Cubelli, in the foreground, celebrates Los Pumas' triumph against New Zealand.
Photo: UAR Press
Regarding what caused him to see his son Tomás being decisive in a game of such magnitude as this one against the All Blacks, he highlights: "It is a tremendous pride for me what Tomás did, to see the passion that he puts on things. He had suffered a nasty injury against the All Blacks - a broken vertebra in his neck - and now
he had the pleasure of beating them
. "
In the preview of this meeting with the New Zealanders, a video was circulated in which all the members of Los Pumas could be seen training in times of
pandemic
: Tomás Cubelli was seen in particular practicing passing exercises in the garage of his house, in an image that was very shocking.
"Tomás was training in a garage in Villa Urquiza and he never stopped trying to do what he was doing. When there was no official competition calendar set up and the return to activity seemed very far away I told him: they seem like hamsters training like that. Why Don't they stop for a bit? and the answer I found was always the same: we're not going to stop. "
From the garage of Villa Urquiza to this game ... life itself ... enjoy it!
I love you @ tcubelli89 😘
- Francisco Cubelli (@FCubelli) November 14, 2020
It was in this feat that Los Pumas began to become strong and forge this
spirit
that led to this resounding victory against New Zealand, which they faced in a minority of conditions taking into account that the All Blacks arrived with a lot of competition rhythm.
"They did 45 days of quarantine: 15 in
Uruguay
, 15 in
Buenos Aires
and another 15 in
Australia
. They had to sleep in individual rooms and eat alone from the trays that were left in front of the room: breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner. Only they saw each other to train, then they had to be alone in the room ".
For Alejandro Cubelli, this situation made Los Pumas "gain strength" and gave them an "uncontrollable energy" to play against the All Blacks: "They were unstoppable in one-on-one contact. There were very high points in that regard, like Matera, Montoya, Kremer and Petti, to name a few examples. Also, we were superior in the scrum and we won all our lines. It was a great triumph. "
An image of the draw of Los Pumas against the All Blacks in 1985 in Ferro: Alejandro Cubelli played that game.
Photo: Archive
Alejandro also commented on how his son Tomás got along with Nicolás Sánchez, the Tucumán starter who scored the 25 points for Los Pumas against the All Blacks: "I think the media couple had control and carried the pulse of the game without accelerating. They handled the forwards very well. "
To close, Cubelli Sr. highlights: "I think this for Argentine rugby is historical, these Pumas gave us the lesson that adversity can be the great engine to achieve things and that everything is possible. It is also something that is good for him. amateur rugby, so that the boys of our clubs can motivate themselves and keep getting involved in what they do ".
Look also
The world press surrendered at the feet of Los Pumas after the historic victory against the All Blacks
Matera stood before the referee in the historic triumph against the All Blacks: "I can't see someone hitting a teammate, that's not respect"