The pre-match discussion had centred on fly-half Sam Prendergast but it was his fellow youngster Gus McCarthy who put in a stunning performance for Ireland in their 52-17 defeat of Fiji.
Some inconsistent lineout throwing aside, McCarthy was outstanding for Ireland and took little time to make his presence felt.
The hooker, who was visibly emotional when the national anthem rang out around Dublin's Aviva Stadium prior to kick off, expertly picked out Caelan Doris with fast hands for Ireland's opening try.
The assist was the first of three on the day for McCarthy, just 21-years-old, who found Craig Casey and then Bundee Aki for their respective scores.
McCarthy himself would then get in on the act, cashing in off the back of a strong lineout maul and his teammates reactions told the story.
It was an outstanding debut for a player who captained Ireland to U20s Grand Slam glory less than two years ago.
Ex-Ireland stars claim Munster need Gus McCarthy
The Player of the Match honour may have gone the way of Bundee Aki, but McCarthy was outstanding and furthered his case for regular playing time at club level.
He is just the latest exciting talent to come through the system in Leinster but, like in the international reckoning, he faces stiff competition in the form of Dan Sheehan and Ronan Kelleher.
Munster, Ulster and Connacht would all benefit from having a talent like McCarthy on their books and there is a clear logic for him to head down south in particular.
Munster are light at hooker with Diarmuid Barron and the veteran Niall Scannell taking on the role when fit with Eoghan Clarke intitially brought in from the AIL last season to combat injuries to both men.
Former Ireland internationals Andrew Trimble and Ian Madigan were on punditry duty for Virgin Media after Ireland's win against Fiji and shared their joint view that the hooker would be a great addition to Munster.
For me yeah (McCarthy needs to leave Leinster)," Trimble said.
"He has to get game time somewhere. If I made the decisions then everyone would be heading north but I think he needs to head the other way."
Madigan jumped in on Trimble's point, claiming that Munster have been without a world class hooker since Jerry Flannery retired back in 2012.
'Munster have not had a top world class hooker since Jerry Flannery and it is such a crucial position for the way they play the game.
"He would be a hell of a coup for them."
The clamour for McCarthy to make such a move will only grow as he continues to settle into his senior rugby career this season.
