New players make an instant impact
THE Autumn Nations Series produced some sparkling rugby auguring well for next year's World Cup in France.
Here, we pick out some new faces - other than South Africans - whose displays suggest they could be major players in the sport's showpiece.
From the wreckage of their historic defeat against Italy, he emerged as one enormous positive.
Easy to spot with his mop of curls, the 22-year-old impressed against world’s No 1 side Ireland.
Then with so many experienced players missing against Wales, and trailing 34-13, he shone in what was only his third Test.
He scored two tries and was pivotal in the game-winning one to cap an extraordinary comeback. Nawaqanitawase is not just a finisher. Something of a free spirit, it is his ability to drift in from his wing and pop up in the centres that caused mayhem in the Welsh defence.
"The boys never lost belief," he said - he turned that belief into reality and it could be the turning point for Dave Rennie's side.
Jimmy O'brien Ireland
The Leinster man looked immediately at home in Test rugby when he replaced injured centre Stuart Mccloskey in the first-half of the 19-16 win over world champions South Africa.
More crucially for both his and Ireland's Test future, the 25-year-old showed he can play in several positions as he started at fullback against Fiji, then the wing against Australia.
O'brien, who like his province and international teammate Hugo Keenan came through the Sevens set-up, showed himself strong in defence, and his powerful left foot kicked the Irish out of trouble on several occasions.
Whether his strength of being able to play several positions is also his weakness in gaining a regular starting spot head coach Andy Farrell is delighted to have added competition in the backs.
“He has all the hallmarks of a great, composed international player," said Farrell.
"Somebody who can do what he does in many different positions, he doesn't flap around panicking about moving positions."
Jac Morgan Wales
Welsh rugby fans may prefer Morgan to stop scoring two tries in a Test match for on both occasions they have ended up losing - the historic defeat to Georgia and then Saturday's morale-sapping collapse against Australia.
The 22-year-old backrow forward, though, has been a rare bright spot for the Welsh this year and more than held his own starting alongside the vastly more experienced Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau.
Coach Wayne Pivac's predecessor Warren Gatland described Morgan as "a one man wrecking ball" against the Wallabies. Aside from his brace of tries he carried for over 100 metres and made 11 tackles.
His rise to Test rugby is all the more remarkable given he was discarded by the Scarlets Academy and mixed playing for Aberavon with an engineering apprenticeship.
Those hard yards seem to have served the Ospreys man well and he could cause all sorts of problems for Wales's opponents at the World Cup next year.