South Africa-born Rhys Thomas will line up for Wales against the Springboks on Saturday - but he has already won the biggest battle of his life.
The Newport Gwent Dragons prop is set to renew acquaintances with former school colleague and current Springboks try machine Bryan Habana in Cardiff this weekend.
It is a red-letter day for Thomas, but little more than a year ago his richly-promising rugby career looked destined to end prematurely.
Walking back to his car following an EDF Energy Cup game between the Dragons and Northampton at Rodney Parade, 25-year-old Thomas collapsed.
Subsequent diagnosis revealed a split artery, with Thomas recalling: ``Basically, I had a mild heart attack.
``After the game, I was walking back to my car and I just fell to the ground. I collapsed with this pain in my chest.
``It was diagnosed that I had a split artery in my heart which hadn't healed up from an impact which they think I must have taken while playing in a previous game. I don't know where, or when.
``The doctors told me maybe I wouldn't be able to carry on with my career, which was a massive disappointment.
``I was absolutely gutted because I had just been told I was going to be in the Wales squad for the (2006) autumn internationals.
``I had worked so hard to get to that stage of my career, and I thought that was going to be the end of it for me.
``I am not going to lie - it was a bad time in my life.
``But I went through a few months of recovery when everything healed up nicely and I was lucky enough for them to say I could carry on.
``I have to have a check-up every six months and I am on medication constantly, but I am feeling fine.
``Having been through that experience, it makes me all the more appreciative of what I have now.
``It has been an absolute rollercoaster ride for me the last year and a half of my life.''
Thomas was sidelined for six months while he recovered, but then after being selected for Wales' summer tour to Australia earlier this year he tore ankle ligaments in a Magners League game and missed the trip Down Under.
Saturday's clash will see Thomas win his third cap - his previous Test experiences came as a replacement against Argentina and England - and he is viewed by many astute judges as Wales' potential 2011 World Cup tighthead.
But it could have been so different had Johannesburg-born Thomas not moved to Wales - his father Colin is from Newport - seven years ago.
He added: ``My dad had a job opportunity to go out and work as an engineering consultant in Rhodesia, as it was then. He met my mother, and they moved to Johannesburg.
``My dad always dressed me in Welsh rugby kit, and I have always been really close to my Welsh roots. I had a bit of stick from my mates about it, but that didn't bother me.
``I am proud to call myself Welsh, and there are definitely no split loyalties on my part.''
While at King Edward VII School in Johannesburg, Thomas played in the same side as Habana, a star performer during South Africa's recent World Cup success.
Thomas said: ``He is a year younger than me, but he was in the same year in school.
``We played in the first team together for two years, and we were quite friendly.
``Our school team meant everything to us. We used to have 12,000 people come and watch some of our games, and we thought we were the best. It was mad.''
Thomas initially planned his subsequent trip to Wales as a year's travelling experience, but a trial with Newport quickly developed into him playing for Wales at the under-19 World Cup in Chile just three months later.
This weekend though, it is the real deal and a gilt-edged chance for him to make a major impression just seven days before New Zealander Warren Gatland arrives to take over as Wales' new head coach.
Thomas added: ``I have put in a lot of hard work, especially on my scrummaging, which has come a long way.
``I've also shown a lot of dedication to sort myself out off the field.
``Coming from age-group rugby, I had a bit of a laid-back approach to professionalism and I just had to change my outlook to get where I am.
``I think this opportunity has come at a good time for me.
``I have a lot of rugby under my belt this season, having played every game for the Dragons, and I am feeling fit and strong.
``My father is coming over for the game, so it is going to be a big day for me. I just can't wait.''
Teams for Wales versus South Africa, Millennium Stadium, Saturday, 1445.
Wales: M Stoddart (Llanelli Scarlets); M Jones (Llanelli Scarlets), S Parker (Ospreys), G Henson (Ospreys), T Shanklin (Cardiff Blues); J Hook (Ospreys), D Peel (Llanelli Scarlets); G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues, capt), H Bennett (Ospreys), R Thomas (Newport Gwent Dragons), I Evans (Ospreys), A-W Jones (Ospreys), C Charvis (Newport Gwent Dragons), R Sowden-Taylor (Cardiff Blues), J Thomas (Ospreys).
Replacements: T R Thomas (Cardiff Blues), D Jones (Ospreys), L Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragos), A Popham (Llanelli Scarlets), M Phillips (Ospreys), S Jones (Llanelli Scarlets), T James (Cardiff Blues).
South Africa: R Pienaar (Natal Sharks); J P Pietersen (Natal Sharks), J Fourie (Golden Lions), F Steyn (Natal Sharks), B Habana (Blue Bulls); A Pretorius (Golden Lions), R Januarie (Golden Lions); C J Van Der Linde (Free State), J Smit (Clermont Auvergne, capt), J Du Plessis (Free State), B Botha (Blue Bulls), J Muller (Natal Sharks), S Burger (Western Province), J Smith (Free State), R Kankowski (Natal Sharks).
Replacements: B Du Plessis (Natal Sharks), H Van Der Merwe (Golden Lions), A Van Den Berg (Natal Sharks), H Lobberts (Blue Bulls), W Olivier (Blue Bulls), A Ndungane (Blue Bulls), C Jantjes (Golden Lions).
Referee: Chris White (England).
Touch judges: Dave Pearson (England) and David Changleng (Scotland).