Rory Best's International Debut

With ten minutes left to play and the scoreboard reading New Zealand 38 – 0 Ireland, a 23 year old Rory Best took to the field in the number 16 jersey and immediately packed down in a scrum which put the All Blacks under pressure on their own ball.

It was a first cap in an international career which would span 14 years, concluding after Ireland’s unexpectedly disappointing 2019 World Cup.

The mighty All Blacks showed the Irish no mercy in a significantly one-sided affair. The men in green, however, displayed characteristic grit and a never-say-die attitude to dot down at the very end, leaving the score at 45 -7.

Best became a revered figure in Irish rugby, much loved for his passionate displays on the field of play coupled with intelligent captaincy. Upon his retirement, he had earned 124 caps for his country.