He looked like he had been there all his career. One big question before CJ Stander's Ireland debut was whether he could transfer his marauding Munster form onto the international stage.
We should never have worried.
From the opening exchanges, Stander stood out - he even flummoxed the cameraman with a sneaky break through the middle of the ruck. From there he kicked on, seemingly on hand to carry the ball at every second ruck.
He ended the day with a whopping 23 carries for 40m and his power in attack was so noticeable that Ireland didn't miss Sean O'Brien as much as had been feared.
He also gave a committed defensive performance and had the third highest tackle count on the Irish team with 11.
You could tell how influential Stander was in the game by the amount of RTÉ personalities who gave them their seal of approval.
Welcome CJ 2:0 @CJStander
Singing Amhrán na bhFiann like a patriot and carrying like one too! #IREvWAL— Gráinne Seoige (@grainne_seoige) February 7, 2016
Super display so far from @TommyoDonnell87 & @CJStander ... #hungry
— Hector (@hectorirl) February 7, 2016
It will be interesting to see the make-up of the back row next weekend against France in Paris. If Sean O'Brien is fit, the thought of pairing him with Stander on the flanks is mouthwatering. With Louis Picamoles injured, Ireland would have a considerable ball carrying advantage.
What was particularly exciting about Stander's performance was how hungry he was to carry the ball. They weren't just placeholder carries to set up the next ruck - he made good inroads into the Welsh line almost every time he touched the ball.
Ireland might not have gotten the win but at least they know they have another top class international back row in their squad.
