Mr Fixit Matt Carraro as crucial to Waratahs game plan as Wallabies stars
THERE is the sheer running and leaping brilliance of Israel Folau. There is the masterly magician’s bag of tricks in Kurtley Beale. There is the explosive power of Taqele Naiyaravoro. And then there is Matt Carraro.
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THERE is the sheer running and leaping brilliance of Israel Folau.
There is the masterly magician’s bag of tricks in Kurtley Beale.
There is the explosive power of Taqele Naiyaravoro.
And then there is Matt Carraro.
We could try to describe how this unassuming, unheralded Mr Fix It finds himself in the star-studded, Wallabies-laden NSW backline but Carraro does that best himself.
“If everyone is fit, I don’t really fit into the starting team,” says Carraro, the man filling the outside centre boots of injured vice-captain Adam Ashley-Cooper.
“My motivation is to nail that backs’ bench spot and provide an impact.
“I can cover a lot of positions, and hopefully the coach has got faith in me.
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“I am not one of the stars, I haven’t got the attacking flair of other guys.
“I would love to have the footwork and speed of Izzy and Rob Horne.
“With Adam out I’ve got a great chance.
“My defensive capabilities have probably got me there, and just my experience in the game.
“All these things don’t get you headlines and highlights packages but it’s probably the reason I am still here and playing.”
Carraro’s importance to the Tahs’ backline cannot be underestimated.
With Folau now given the added role of attacking at outside centre, pushing Carraro to the wing, the 30-year-old’s versatility is crucial to NSW’s plans.
“He is pretty important because of the role we’re giving Israel at the moment, just around the freedom to attack up front but still be in the backfield for kicks,” Waratahs attack coach Daryl Gibson said of Carraro.
“He’s pretty important because he has got a unique skill set, he can play on the wing, he can play in centres, and defend there quite comfortably.”
And Carraro, who is starting his third consecutive match this Sunday, marking the Brumbies’ damaging Wallabies No. 13 Tevita Kuridrani at Allianz Stadium in one of the biggest games of the year, knows what is required.
“This is the biggest run of starts I’ve had, normally I’m getting 15 minutes off the bench each week, it is about making sure I make the most of my opportunities,” he says.
But Carraro isn’t just doing it for himself. He has wife Nardia and 15-month-old son Chase to think about.
Having had a breakthrough season for Ewen McKenzie’s NSW in 2008, when he played for them in the grand final loss to the Crusaders, Carraro got just three minutes of playing time in 2009 under new coach Chris Hickey.
That forced Carraro to English club Bath, where he had three solid seasons before moving to French club Montpellier.
The rugby experience wasn’t great, with Carraro getting little playing time, but the French lifestyle resonated with him and his wife, a physiotherapist.
They returned home after a call from Michael Cheika, and the couple was glad to be back in Sydney for the birth of their child, but his future is unclear.
Carraro is a qualified physical education teacher and, off-contract at the end of this season, will weigh up overseas offers with any that may come from NSW, and the possibility of retiring to explore a junior coaching career.
“I’m getting to that point where I have got to start thinking about life after rugby, it forces you to grow up a lot more, you’ve got someone else to worry about,” Carraro said.
“Whether I continue to play or look at life after rugby is a decision I’ll need to make.
“We all play for love of the game and to represent your state, I am representing NSW which is a pretty amazing achievement that I never thought would happen when I was playing in the juniors.
“But there does come a point where you’ve got to provide for your family too, you have to make enough to support them.
“I have to work out whether I want to coach at school level, there are lots of good opportunities in the GPS system.
“I think I could be a pretty good assistant, I’d like to test myself at school level.”
But that is all for a later time.
For now, it’s about making his mark on the field, this weekend and beyond.
“That’s what it’s about, making your family proud,” Carraro said.
“I would love for my son to look back and say his dad was a Waratah, but also say he was quite good.”
Originally published as Mr Fixit Matt Carraro as crucial to Waratahs game plan as Wallabies stars
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