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A Pumas Hooker is on his Way to France, reports Midi Olympique. The authority on French rugby has reported that Santiago Iglesias Valdez is departing Argentina to join Béziers as a medical joker. This will see the 24-year-old taking the place of the injured Spanish hooker, Marco Pinto Ferrer who is out for four months.
The 2017-2018 Pro D2 season gets underway this week. On Thursday August 24 Carcassonne play at home to Biarritz in the season opener. Béziers open their campaign on Friday, playing away to Bayonne.
From Tucumán, Iglesias Valdes has been a fringe option at hooker for Argentina in recent years. His 11 test caps were earned from 2013-2015. Following his debut against Uruguay in April 2013 he went on to face England and Wales on that year’s November tour.
His most recent start was against Paraguay in 2015. At that point in time he had been tied with Julián Montoya as the back-up hooker option for Agustín Creevy. Since then, however, Creevy and Montoya have been the only options both for Los Pumas and Jaguares.
This has led to problems with Roberto Tejerizo converting from loosehead prop to hooker earlier this year. He and both Gaspar Baldunciel and Agustín Gómez di Nardo were used for the Argentina XV in place of Iglesias Valdes for the Argentina XV this year.
With the hooker position being so thin for Argentina, Iglesias Valdez’ move to France is potentially welcome news. It is an opportunity of playing in a professional environment and then being able to return home in time for a possible return to Los Pumas.
Béziers has been the home of Argentine players in the past. Former Pumas Pablo Cardinali, Diego Giannantonio, Gonzalo Quesada and Federico Todeschini all spent time at the club.
The club’s home ground, the Stade de la Méditerranée hosted one game in Rugby World Cup 1991 and two in Rugby World Cup 1999. This included Canada’s match against France in the latter of the two tournaments.
