Cometh the hour, cometh the man

Last year Santiago González Iglesias thought his dream to regain his membership of Argentina's elite squad was dead and buried when he missed the cut for the June Tests.

However, the arrival of Daniel Hourcade - as the new Puma coach towards the end of the year - filled him with renewed confidence.

He made his debut in the June internationals against Ireland and Scotland, nut now he faces the biggest challenge of his short career - the Springboks in a Rugby Championship Test at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

He had the enthusiasm and desire, was the leading scorer of the Pampas XV when he featured all editions of their Vodacom Cup campaign in South Africa in 2011 and 2012.

In June 2013, England and Georgia landed in Argentina to face a Pumas team selected from local players, but his name did not appear in then coach Santiago Phelan's team sheet - nor did he make the Jaguars (Argentina A) to play the Nations Cup in Romania.

González Iglesias was never in the plans of Phelan.

It appeared the promising 25-year-old's dream of a long Test career with the Pumas had vanished.

However, Phelan stepped Down in October and Hourcade, the former Pampas coach, appeared on the scene.

Hourcade had seen González Iglesias' potential before and by the end of the end of the year, Rete - as he is affectionately know - was suddenly back in the Pumas' selection frame.

It even surprised the player.

"I suddenly realized I had another chance," he confessed.

González Iglesias again became a member of the Pumas squad in June this year, getting his first game time with the senior team in years.

He did enough to earn a call-up for the Rugby Championship squad, where he will feature either as a flyhalf or No.12.

"Every player wants to play for the Pumas," he said.

"You don't know when the opportunity will come, but I always had the desire and playing every year in different teams I believed I was close [to selection].

"To get the call-up [again] this year is great," he said of what he felt was one of the greatest moments in his career.

González Iglesias has always played as a flyhalf, but the new gameplan that Hourcade intends to implement with Argentina's national, both on defence and attack, gives him the chance to also play at inside centre.

When Hourcade named his team - to face the Springboks in Pretoria on Saturday - González Iglesias was listed among the replacements.

Nicolás Sánchez will start at flyhalf and Juan Martín Hernández is the No.12.

González Iglesias has a rare opportunity, one that a year ago he did not even dare to dream about.

Now it's up to him to grab the opportunity with both hands.

By Christian Gómez Csher, Rugby Fun