News

Hernández predicted to outshine Carter

September 30 2008

Stade Français boss Ewen McKenzie has hailed Juan Martín Hernández as the "complete player" and believes the Argentina star will be integral in the club's bid to win their first Heineken Cup.

Hernández was not at his best last season, his exploits with the Pumas during their run to the semi-finals of the World Cup taking their toll.

But after resisting a summer move to Leicester, the 26-year-old fly-half has started the new campaign in superb fashion and is one of the major reasons why Stade are six points clear in the Top 14 with a perfect record thus far.

This season's Heineken Cup, which begins a week on Friday, will welcome a host of new faces including imperious New Zealand fly-half Dan Carter, who joins up with Perpignan in December.

But McKenzie, speaking at France's Heineken Cup launch day in Paris, reckons he already has the real deal in Hernández.

"I know everyone is talking about the arrival of Dan Carter - I know him well and he is one of the great players - but for me, Hernandez is up there on the same shelf," the Australian, who took over at Stade in the summer, said.

"He is a very important player for us and it's important that he stayed. I didn't really know him apart from when I saw him play for Argentina but seeing him all the time now, he's just a complete player.

"He is in the same mould as guys like Stephen Larkham, who play as well in defence as in attack and can conjure up something from nothing."

Hernández, who has played at number ten and at full-back so far this season, is Stade's focal point but in players such as France fly-half Lionel Beauxis and high-profile Australian code-switcher Mark Gasnier, the Paris club have other attacking threats.

Although Hernández is clearly the stand-out player in his squad, McKenzie reckons opposition teams would be foolish to focus solely on the Argentinian.

"Teams may target [Hernández] but he doesn't shirk anything," McKenzie added.

"He'll make the tackles, take the high balls and do everything really well.

"We're not going to wrap him in cotton wool. He is there to play but we can't just have a game revolving around one player.

"We have other players. We have Lionel Beauxis and Gasnier. We have threats all over the field. If people concentrate on Hernandez, we can move it around."

Stade will be confident of progressing through a group that also comprises of the Scarlets, Ulster and Harlequins.

"I think there is an opportunity for us but we have to be good enough to take that opportunity," McKenzie said.

"You can't look at form going in; you have to make sure you get it right on the day. The challenge for us is also getting used to going from the Top 14 then the Heineken Cup and then back again."

Stade may be two-time finalists in Europe's elite competition and going well domestically this season but the French team to watch out for again this year are Toulouse.

The reigning Top 14 title winners have been champions of Europe three times and were narrowly defeated by Munster in last season's final.

Alongside Bath, the Dragons and Glasgow Warriors, they also appear to have been placed in a benign Pool Five.

"It is a high-quality group that will be tough to get out of, but we have a very large group with some great players," said Toulouse skipper Jean Bouilhou.

"Again the most important match will be the first one [against Bath on October 12]."