After going through the worst period of his career, Santiago Cordero is understandably delighted to be feeling like his old self again and delivering that special “sparkle”. The Argentine international endured a nightmare start to his time with Connacht Rugby, suffering a serious knee injury when he collided with a post during his first training session in Galway. Surgery followed which saw him miss almost the whole of last season and, when he did eventually return to action, it took him a while to get used to his “weird” reconstructed knee. But, over the past few games, the 54-cap Pumas star has really started to shine at full-back, helping Connacht emerge as top seeds from the Challenge Cup group stage with four bonus point victories. That has earned them a home tie against Cardiff Rugby - who they beat in their pool - on Saturday, April 5th at 8pm in Dexcom Stadium, while the immediate attention now switches back to the BKT URC and Friday’s trip to league champions Glasgow Warriors.
Cordero readily admits what we went through last season, following his move from Bordeaux-Begles, was hugely challenging. “It’s the toughest thing I have been through during my career,” said the 31-year-old. “I dislocated my shoulder when I was playing out in France and that was a tough one. But, for every rugby player, this injury, the knee, is the one nobody wants to have. It was a tough one physically.”
Cordero finally made his Connacht debut against the DHL Stormers in the penultimate game of last season and then continued his comeback as he figured for Argentina over the summer before going into the new league campaign. He concedes it took him a while to find his feet again. “I thought I was going to be recovered and ok to play as usual. But it takes longer, it takes a lot of time to have that feeling that the knee is 100 per cent again. When I came back, it was still feeling weird. The knee was strong, I was able to play, but it didn’t feel like it was 100 per cent my knee. It was feeling strange. I was speaking to other players that have had the same injury and I was saying ‘It feels weird, it’s not my knee’. Everyone was telling me it just takes a lot of time for the knee to settle and not to worry. They were saying be confident that it’s strong and just go for it. It was maybe a bit more of a mental thing. With the stepping and everything, sometimes you are afraid. I think now I am not even thinking about it, so I can tell I am moving in a good direction. Over the last few weeks, I have just felt it is starting to come along. It’s kind of almost there, so I am happy with it and I will just keep on working at that.”
The Buenos Aires-born Cordero played for the Pampas XV and the Jaguares Super Rugby side back home, making his Test debut in 2013. He went on to join Exeter, being shortlisted for the Players’ Player of the Year award in the Premiership in 2019, before having a four season spell in Bordeaux. Now the west of Ireland is his home. “I am enjoying my time here. It’s a beautiful place. It’s wonderful. The weather is not always the best, but it’s a lovely town. You have different cultures, different conditions and different styles of play in different places, of course, but what I am good at is trying to adapt. That’s a very good quality I can say I have. I just try to adapt to where I am, with the cultures and the game plan.”
As for his first experience of the BKT URC, after stints in the English Premiership and French Top 14, he says: “It’s a really interesting competition and I am enjoying it.” Cordero, who scored his 16th Test try against Italy in November, has played the bulk of his rugby on the wing, so how does he feel about his different role at Connacht? “If I had to choose, I would prefer 15,” he declares. “When I was young, my beginnings were at full-back. I have played a lot of my career on the wing, but I really enjoy playing 15.”
Connacht coach Pete Wilkins is delighted to see the fleet-footed Puma going so well after everything he has been through. “He has had an awful run of things in terms of the long term injury,” he said, “It happened so soon after moving clubs and moving countries and bringing a young family with him from France as well. So it was a really challenging time.” Wilkins continued: “There’s been a sparkle about him in these last three games now. “To see some of those moments, it feeds the love that he has for the game and it shows he’s on the right track as well.”
