ASBH hooker José Luis González is gaining momentum. Raised to worship the scrum and the fight, the Argentinian has always fought his way to exist.
“MLife is always played out on the edge of things, it’s either make or break in a way, I’ve never given up on anything anyway”by setting the framework for a career rich in twists and turns and emotions, José Luis González willingly outlines the contours of an explosive career, where nothing was ever easy. Born in the north of Argentina in Jujuy, the player who has just turned 27 has gone through sometimes difficult times to become a rugby player. “I started playing rugby at the age of 10 at the Tucumán Rugby Club, the football coach having told my father that I was not cut out for this sport, he says. Then I wasn’t big enough to stay in the third row, so I was put at heel at the age of 18. But at home, the scrum is essential, and I learned a lot with very experienced boys.” With a farmer father and a mother who later married a Frenchman who had moved to Argentina, José Luis González was also already sensitive to France and its particularities.
A white selection
Known for being hyperactive when he was younger, “Gonzo” as he was affectionately nicknamed, found fulfillment in the oval ball that channeled all this passion. In the sights of the Pumitas (the country’s under-20 team), he managed to be called up to the Pumas team while he was in the Jaguares squad. It was against Australia in Sydney in 2020 and a historic draw for Mario Ledesma’s men. His only call-up, without a minute played: “I didn’t play, I was still young and people didn’t have confidence in me yet. It’s an experience that I won’t forget despite everything.” Then comes France with Mont-de-Marsan and the beginning of a story, with his partner Bernadita at his side. “I didn’t have an agent at the time, Rémi Tales knew Andrés Bordoy who was a coach at the Pumas. After making enquiries, I was asked to come before Christmas. Either I continued my professional career, or I took over my father’s farm and the blueberry production. My choice was made.”
Stubbornness as a credo
After this crucial stage which could have changed everything concerning him, where the tearing apart with his family was quite brutal, the time to embrace a career in Europe was taking shape. The Mons interlude was of fine quality, where he expressed “all my gratitude to the Landes club for allowing him to continue on his path.” While he was no longer necessarily counted on, being a non-Jiff to boot, a new crossroads presented itself to him, he recounts: “I didn’t have any offers apart from Béziers who were supposed to make the departure of a hooker official. It happened late, otherwise I was very close to returning home.” With his integration acquired, José Luis González is now starting again and is expecting a big match against Provence: “It’s been a studious week. Against such a dense team, the slightest flaw will be punitive.” With his temperament, Béziers will have one more argument to try to bring down his bête noire…
