An international test debut is a special moment for any player.
The nerves and excitement, the hopes and fears – many former players identify their first test match as one of the highlights of their careers.
Typically, coaches try to ease players into the test scene in less challenging matches, but sometimes players will make their debut on a higher stage.
Arguably the greatest plateau that exists for a player to make their debut is at a World Cup.
With so many warm-up matches played in the lead up to rugby’s showpiece competition, World Cup debuts have tapered out in recent times. There are now so many opportunities for players to be blooded before the tournament kicks off, which means debuts are likely to be less common now than 20 years ago, with injuries the only real reason why an uncapped player would feature in a World Cup squad.
Look back through the years, however, and there have been plenty of successful test footballers who earned their first cap in a World Cup match.