Opportunity is the name of the game for talented Tasman Mako and Crusaders No 8 Fletcher Anderson.
Going into this year’s NPC campaign with the Mako, the 22-year-old missed out on a new contract with the Crusaders. Even after a few weeks of provincial rugby, his future was, in his words, “pretty up in the air”.
That was until Welsh rugby club Scarlets came knocking with a three-year deal.
“Out of the blue, my agent was like, ‘hang on, this club in Wales wants to jump on a Zoom call’,” Anderson recalled.
“They were keen on having a ball running No 8 and they said, ‘there’s an opportunity over here’.”
Anderson said an offer to relocate to Auckland for a place in the Blues squad came up at the same time as the Scarlets’, but the allure of solidified game time at the next level pushed him to choose the intercontinental shift.
“I need to be at a club where I’m playing week in and week out. This year at NPC, I’ve been playing every week, and you just see how much better you can get.”
The stats from his NPC campaign certainly paint that picture. Anderson was best among forwards in defenders beaten at 42 (sixth best overall), fourth in tackles completed and seventh in carries in the regular season competition. He was also awarded Tasman’s Man of the Year, Player of the Year and Defender of the Year, highlighting his monstrous work on both sides of the ball.
At Scarlets, Anderson will be teaming up with former club rugby and Crusaders U20 teammate turned Welsh international Blair Murray, and while he lacks the Welsh eligibility the speedy outside back has, he makes it up with a game akin to the physical nature of the United Rugby Championship (URC).
“[There’s] some really quality sides over there and they play quite a different style of rugby, so I think it’ll be interesting to see something new,” Anderson said.
“Even within the comp, the Scottish play a certain way versus the Irish and the South Africans are obviously quite different, so I think that was something that interested me as well.”
Crusaders forwards coach Dan Perrin said it was “disappointing” to see Anderson depart, boiling it down to the nature of forward contracting other young players, thus leaving not quite the opportunities the loose forward desired.
He said Anderson’s ball carrying “superpower” and his unwavering work ethic over 80 minutes would serve him well for URC rugby, but he’d have to be dialled in on the defensive side of the ball.
“He’s going to be dealing with some big humans running at him, which I think he’ll handle.
“For a young fellow to go over there and experience the European style, I think it could be a good string to his bow if he ever looks to come back home … it’ll be a great opportunity for him.”
A return to New Zealand shores is Plan A at the moment for Anderson, who will be 25 on arrival.
“It’s only three years, and I’m a young player, so I intend on coming back. It’s just an opportunity to get game time and get better.”
Said Perrin: “We wish him all the best [and] we’d welcome him back with open arms.”