This post was originally published on this site.
The Scarlets appear to have hit the jackpot with their latest Kiwi signing
The days of Welsh clubs signing big-name Southern Hemisphere players are in the past but Fletcher Anderson has certainly made a significant impact since swapping New Zealand’s South Island for Llanelli.
Anderson is not a household name but had been pulling up trees for Tasman Mako in New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship, while he was also part of the wider Crusaders squad. The 22-year-old backrower was identified by the club’s recruitment and operations officer James Davies as a potential solution to the Scarlets‘ ball-carrying problem.
Anderson had a choice between moving halfway around the world to represent the Scarlets or taking up a contract with one of New Zealand’s five Super Rugby Pacific outfits.
“We were about halfway through the season over there and things were up in the air with Super Rugby the following season,” he said.
“I was just focusing on trying to play well in the NPC but then my agent told me there’s a club over here who wanted to reach out.
“It was Cubby (James Davies) who reached out so I jumped on a Zoom with him and Peely (Dwayne Peel).
“They said they were really impressed with the way I’d been playing and said they needed a ball-carrying No 8.
“That was what they said they needed and that they saw me as that.
“They were really keen on me coming over.
“As a player you want coaches who believe in you, back you and allow you to go out and do your thing.
“As a young guy moving over to the other side of the world it is cool to live in the UK.
“I tossed it up for a week or two and then was like ‘OK, let’s do it’.
“I’m really happy with my decision so far.”
The man from Christchurch is keen to make a name for himself in the Northern Hemisphere.
“There’s always an appeal to doing something new and living in a new city,” he said.
“As a young guy from New Zealand and having not seen much from the outside world that is obviously a draw. Purely from a rugby development point of view it sounded like I had a better opportunity to play here.
“As a young player what you really need is game-time and I’ve had that so far.
“That’s how you get better by being out there playing. I did a couple of seasons with the Crusaders and held the tackle bag for a couple of years.
“You are in a great environment but the way you get better is by playing every week.
“That was a big part of it. I wanted to be somewhere where I’d be picked and playing.
“You want to play the game you loved.”
Anderson has made a huge impact so far, getting over the gainline with ease, while he is also a player who makes significant post- contact metres.
In his competitive debut against Glasgow Warriors he helped the Scarlets to a comfortable 23-0 victory in Llanelli and was the home side’s top ball carrier.
In the opening two rounds of the Investec Champions Cup the New Zealander has beaten more defenders (11) than any other player in the competition, while he also tops the carrying charts amongst forwards with 191.
Anderson, who went to university with Wales full-back Blair Murray, is exactly the type of player the Scarlets have been missing since the departure of Sione Kalamafoni in 2023.
“A big part of the reason Peely got me over here was my ball carrying so I’ve been trying to focus on that and do the basics well,” he said.
“I’ve been trying to be aggressive and physical on both sides of the ball.
“I’ve been happy enough with some of my attacking stuff so I’m just trying to keep it really simple.
“There’s a lot to take on with new plays and terminology so I’ve just been trying to simplify the game for myself.
“It’s still rugby at the end of the day.
“If you win collisions you are doing your job. That’s been what I’ve been trying to focus on.”
The Scarlets have endured a disappointing start to the season, having won just once all campaign and are rooted to the bottom of the United Rugby Championship table.
But there has been a significant improvement in their performances and Anderson is keen to make a big impact in the Welsh derbies over the Christmas period, starting with Cardiff at the Arms Park on Friday night.
“There’s a big month coming up,” he said.
“You obviously want to compete in the URC and make the semis and make the finals.
“You want to grow the team and grow a winning culture.
“In the short term it’s about winning crucial games. It’s a long season so these next few games are really important for us with these derbies coming up and European Champion Cup games against Pau and Northampton.
“They are massive games and massive chances for us to play good rugby and build our season, win games and get back on track.
“You want to be part of a team that’s winning games, being competitive and heading in the right direction.
“I think we certainly are. Those are my goals and aspirations. A big part of that is taking one game at a time and trying to do what you can for the team.
“I’m really looking forward to it.
“Cardiff have had a really good start to the season. It sounds like these games get really good support around it.
“The boys are really excited about it and you can tell it means a lot to them so it will be cool to experience that.”
