GRADED: Every Player that DEBUTED in the Nations Championship Southern Series

From South Africa’s rapid influx of debutants to Ireland’s New Zealand-born breakout star returning to Eden Park, the past three rounds delivered a fascinating collection of maiden appearances. Some players were thrust into the deep end immediately, while others were given carefully managed opportunities from the bench. A handful have already made compelling cases to become regulars; others will simply would be grateful for the experience.

With 12 nations competing across the Southern Series, we have reviewed every debutant who took to the field, assessing their performances, the circumstances surrounding their introductions to international rugby and the moments that stood out along the way. So, which nations unearthed genuine stars, and which will be demanding more from their newcomers? Here are our grades for every Southern Series debut class.

South Africa’s debutant class was arguably the strongest of the Southern Series, with six players introduced to the Springbok environment and several making an immediate impact. Paul de Villiers was the standout, going from not being named in the matchday squad to starting against England after Siya Kolisi’s late withdrawal, then retaining his place for the rest of the series.

20-year-old Vusi Moyo’s debut against Wales was another major moment, as despite playing just once for the Sharks in the URC the fly-half showed composure, a strong tactical kicking game and the confidence to create the try for Jesse Kriel. Jaco Williams scored on debut and then created another for Herschel Jantjies, while Carlü Sadie and Ruben van Heerden were introduced during dominant 43-0 victory.

Riley Norton also made his bow as part of a wider rotation strategy. With multiple debutants contributing during a three-match winning campaign, the Springboks could hardly have asked for a better introduction to Test rugby.

New Zealand’s debutant class was smaller, but there were still encouraging signs from a group introduced into an All Blacks side that won all three of its Southern Series matches. The Super Rugby champions Hurricanes contributed front rower Xavier Numia, and joint-top scorers Fehi Fineanganofo and Josh Moorby for their first opportunities at Test level, whilst Blues back row Anton Segner became the first German born player to star for the All Blacks.

The challenge for New Zealand’s newcomers was particularly significant given the quality of opposition, with the All Blacks defeating France, Italy and Ireland. While none immediately seized the headlines in the same fashion as some of South Africa’s debutants, the group gained invaluable experience in a winning environment, as Dave Rennie began his run at the helm. For a team with significant competition across the squad, simply entering the international setup and contributing to an unbeaten campaign represents a highly encouraging first step.

Japan handed opportunities to a significant group of newcomers during a difficult Southern Series campaign, with Sojiro Otsuka, Shigure Arakawa, Shun Arakawa, Izi Sword, Michael Stolberg, Esei Haangana bolstering the forwards pack, as Itsuki Kamimura, Ryunosuke Ito and Shunsuke Uenobo all made their international bows across the back-line.

The Brave Blossoms secured a strong first round win over Italy, before being ultimately beaten by both Ireland and France, as the debutants were thrown straight into demanding opposition. Ryunosuke Ito was among the more notable new faces, featuring at fly-half as Japan attempted to challenge France’s powerful attack.

With Eddie Jones continuing to rebuild and refresh his squad, the value of exposing so many players to high-level Test rugby should not be underestimated. The score-line results were slightly disappointing, especially as the upset beckoned against Ireland, but Japan’s willingness to expand its player pool could prove important in the longer-term development of the side.

Fiji’s debutant class consisted of a single player, with New Zealand born Zuriel Togiatama receiving his first international opportunity, from the bench against Wales. That makes his introduction particularly important, as unlike nations able to spread responsibility across a larger group of newcomers, Fiji’s sole debutant represented a solitary piece of depth added to the squad, with Togiatama coming on for his captain Tevita Ikanivere towards the end of the match.

The Fijian Drua hooker had a 10 minute stint at the Cardiff City Stadium, in what was his sole involvement of the series. Nevertheless, the experience of joining a Fiji squad operating at Test level will be invaluable as the Pacific Island nation continues to develop its player pool. Togiatama’s debut was less about immediate headline-making impact and more about taking the first step towards establishing himself within a highly competitive international environment.

Australia’s debutants provided genuine encouragement during a difficult Southern Series, particularly as Joe Schmidt’s final campaign in charge ended with a long-awaited victory over Italy. Declan Meredith was the biggest winner, retaining the fly-half jersey after making his debut against France and showing enough composure and attacking ambition to suggest he could become a genuine option for the Wallabies.

Miles Amatosero also made his first appearance, adding valuable size and physicality to the pack, while Lachlan Shaw received his opportunity as Australia continued to expand its depth. Meredith’s emergence was particularly significant given the Wallabies’ recent instability at fly-half, with nine players having featured there over the previous 12 months. His debut series was not flawless, but it was promising enough to suggest Australia may have found a player capable of growing into the position as Les Kiss takes over the reins for the Wallabies going forward.

Argentina introduced five uncapped players into their Southern Series squad, with Luciano Asevedo, Leonel Oviedo, Juan Penoucos, Agustín Fraga and Mateo Soler all receiving their first call-ups into Felipe Contepomi's squad. However, out of the selected quintet, none of the players impressed Felipe Contepomi enough to make their senior debuts in the famous sky blue and white stripes. Whilst the Summer international window is often utilised as a proving ground for emerging talents, there were no debutants from Los Pumas, so we must award the lowest possible grade.

You would raise an eyebrow at the decision making, as with little over a year to go before the 2027 Rugby World Cup, the latest Nations Championship Southern Series could have been an opportune time to try out fresh faces on the international stage. Perhaps Felipe Contempomi will unleash new stars in the November Northern Series, as Argentina head up to Europe for clashes with Ireland, France and Italy.

France arrived in the Southern Series with one of the most intriguing groups of newcomers, including Olympic sevens gold medallists Théo Forner and English-born Aaron Grandider-Nkanang, alongside Moses Alo-Emile, Mathis Ferté, Esteban Capilla, Barnabé Massa and the Australian-born Tom Staniforth.

The challenge was immediate, with France facing New Zealand, Australia and Japan during the series. Their selection underlined Fabien Galthié’s willingness to further widen his options, particularly with Staniforth having impressed for France A before earning his senior opportunity. The Olympic connection added an interesting dimension to the backline options, with Grandidier-Nkanang an exceptional stand-out with two tries on debut against the Wallabies.

Wales’ two uncapped players, Kane James and Ben Warren, entered a difficult environment as Steve Tandy attempted to rebuild a side facing some of the toughest opposition in world rugby. Warren ultimately made his debut off the bench against Fiji in round one, and he retained the replacement tight-head role for the following matches against Argentina and the Springboks. However, his valuable experience was capped by a yellow card during the heavy defeat to South Africa, to curtail his shift to just 17 minutes.

James, meanwhile, was part of the wider group but did not enjoy the same on-field opportunity, as he racked up just 14 minutes from the bench in the losing effort against Argentina. That left Wales with limited immediate returns from their debutant class, as the broader value lies in exposing young forwards to the demands of international rugby during a period of transition.

England arrived with five uncapped players in their squad, but the Southern Series produced a particularly unusual debutant story. Noah Caluori, Greg Fisilau, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, George Kloska and Vilikesa Sela were all selected in the wider group, yet the most discussed newcomer was the South African-born Janse van Rensburg. Much speculation surrounded the possibility of him making his debut against his country of birth, but he was ultimately not selected.

His presence still created one of the more intriguing narratives of the series, particularly when the cameras focused on him during the South African anthem. England’s wider campaign produced victories over Fiji and Argentina, with van Rensburg and Noah Caluori both grabbing the headlines with debut tries against the Flying Fijians. George Kloska made two replacement run outs at tight-head, also against Fiji and Los Pumas, as England enjoyed back-to-back wins. Vilikesa Sela and Greg Fisilau were ultimately not handed their debuts, but the potential is there for the Bath and Exeter forwards.

Scotland selected two uncapped hookers, Gregor Hiddleston and Seb Stephen, as part of Gregor Townsend’s Southern Series squad. Their inclusion represented a useful investment in depth at a position where international experience is particularly valuable, with Hiddleston having an impressive impact with a try on debut against Argentina.

Scotland themselves enjoyed a mixed series, defeating Argentina and Fiji while suffering a hard-fought losing effort against the Springboks. Stephen made his maiden Scottish cap against Fiji, as Townsend's men arrived at Murrayfield Stadium the 'visitors', as Fiji hosted the match. That winning environment should nevertheless benefit both newcomers as they continue to push for regular involvement.

Italy’s Southern Series was a difficult one, with defeats to Japan and New Zealand followed by a heavy 57-10 loss to Australia. Alessandro Ortombina, Malik Faissal and Giulio Marini were the three players selected to make their first senior appearances, giving Gonzalo Quesada an opportunity to expand his squad during a period of considerable pressure.

The trio represented different parts of Italy’s development pathway, with Marini and Ortombina coming through Benetton and Zebre environments, while Faissal arrived after featuring for Italy Under-20s. Marini and Ortombina both collected caps from the bench and in the starting XV, with Faissal impressive upon his two starts upon the right touchline against Japan and the All Blacks

However, the team’s results meant the debutants were introduced into a side struggling to build momentum, with Gonzalo Quesada's ban for verbal abuse to a match official in New Zealand clouded what should have been milestone moments. The experience will still be valuable, particularly for players hoping to become part of Italy’s next generation, but the lack of a victory and the severity of the three defeats make this a difficult debutant class to rate highly.

Ireland’s debutant class was headlined by one of the Southern Series’ genuine breakout stars. Sean Jansen produced a phenomenal Player of the Match performance on debut against Japan, before backing it up against New Zealand at Eden Park. The New Zealand-born back rower’s journey went full circle against the All Blacks, in what added an irresistible narrative to an already impressive rise for the Dunedin native.

Jansen's Connacht teammates Billy Bohan and Sam Illo also made their first appearances, while Ulster's Bryn Ward was a late addition after Caelan Doris withdrew with a foot injury in the URC Final. Ward subsequently debuted from the bench against Japan, whilst his brother Zac Ward; who was also a late call-up in wake of Tommy O'Brien's late injury withdraw, was unnused by head coach Andy Farrell.

The fact that four players were introduced during the series was encouraging in itself, but Jansen elevated Ireland’s grade. His performances suggested he could become a serious option in the back row, with the likes of Doris, Jack Conan and Cian Prendergast put on notice by the Connacht Player of the Season. The other debutants gained valuable experience in a team that narrowly defeated Australia and Japan before losing out at Eden Park to New Zealand.