Great Roos debuts: Meet the men who aced their first Test

There is no greater honour in our game than pulling on a Test jersey for the first time on the international stage.

As Thomas Flegler and Nicho Hynes prepare for their maiden voyage in the green and gold on Saturday against the Kiwis, NRL.com looks back at some magical Kangaroos debuts.

Kangaroos debuts to savour

Bobby Bugden, 1960 v France in Brisbane

The livewire St George halfback already had four premierships to his name when he was called upon to feed the scrum for the Aussies in the domestic series against France. The 24-year-old Murwillumbah product took to the big time like a fish to water, crossing for a hat-trick of tries in Australia’s thumping 56-6 victory under the coaching of Immortal Clive Churchill.

Brad Mackay, 1990 v France in Parkes

Another Red V hero, another three-try haul on debut. Just 21 at the time, Mackay slotted in at lock in a Kangaroos pack that included Steve Roach, Paul Sironen and Martin Bella. In bitterly cold conditions in Parkes, Mackay made a mess of the French defence to cross three times and claim man of the match honours in the 34-2 triumph. Later that year he was part of the Kangaroos side that toured England and would go on to play 12 Tests for his country.

Andrew Johns, 1995 v South Africa in Gateshead

On the back of a fine season with the Knights, ‘Joey’ headed to the UK as part of the Australian squad looking to defend its World Cup title. Making his Kangaroos debut at halfback, Johns piled on 30 points from two tries and 11 goals in the 86-6 demolition of South Africa. Johns’ tally remains a record for most points on Test debut by an Australian player.

Nathan Cleary, 2022 v Scotland in Coventry

Some 27 years after Johns had set the benchmark, Panthers supremo Cleary came within one successful conversion of equalling the record. One try and 12 goals in the huge win over Scotland gave Cleary 28 points on debut and for good measure he also laid on the first two tries of the night with pinpoint passes. "Playing for the green and gold is the greatest honour you can have and it still feels a bit surreal that I have actually done it - there's such great history and pride in the jersey," Cleary said.

Wayne Pearce, 1982 v Great Britain at Hull

The man they call ‘Junior’ played the first of his 19 Tests in the opening match of the 1982 Ashes series, scoring a try and claiming the man of the match award in the comprehensive 40-4 win. At 22, Pearce already had three seasons of first grade under his belt with Balmain but was still a year away from making his Blues Origin debut. Under the captaincy of Max Krilich, the 1982 Kangaroos went through the entire tour undefeated and were dubbed The Invincibles, with young guns like Mal Meninga, Peter Sterling and Pearce thriving alongside proven performers Steve Rogers, Craig Young and Rod Reddy.

Greg Inglis, 2006 v New Zealand in Auckland

The teenage sensation from the Storm grabbed the first of his 31 Test tries in a 30-18 Tri-Nations victory over the Kiwis. With Melbourne teammate Cameron Smith debuting on the same night, fans got a glimpse into a glorious future for two men who would go on to play 95 Tests between them. Playing on the wing outside superstar playmakers Darren Lockyer and Johnathan Thurston, the young GI was given ample opportunity to show off his speed and power as he gave the Kiwi defence nightmares. Inglis bagged four tries in his first three Tests and would finish his career with 31 in 39 Tests, third all time for Australia behind Lockyer (35) and Ken Irvine (33).

John Raper, 1959 v New Zealand in Sydney

One of the game’s original Immortals, Raper enjoyed a stunning season in 1959 which included his Test debut against the Kiwis. The Dragons legend also made his  interstate debut for New South Wales in ’59 and played a leading role in the Dragons' unbeaten premiership campaign. Playing alongside fellow Immortals Reg Gasnier and Norm Provan on the hallowed SCG turf they would make their own for a decade, Raper got through a power of work as Australia prevailed 9-8 in a dour Test match.

Campbell Graham, 2022 v Scotland at Coventry

A magic moment for the powerful Rabbitohs centre as he celebrated his Kangaroos debut with three tries against his father’s country in the city of his mother’s birth. Graham crossed once in the first half and twice in the second as Mal Meninga’s men racked up 84 points and kept Scotland to zero as they powered their way towards another World Cup title. “There was a bit of talk about there was an opportunity to play for Scotland, but playing for Australia is the pinnacle for me, there is no one I would rather represent … that’s where my heart’s at and I want to hold on to this jersey as long as I can,” Graham said. “My dad had his Aussie jersey on after half-time, so he’s good!”