DHL Western Province star Nizaam Carr won his first Springbok cap against Italy in Padova on Saturday and his impact was immediate.

The hard-working loose forward, an Absa Currie Cup winner almost four weeks ago, came off the bench at Stadio Euganeo as a replacement for Teboho ‘Oupa’ Mohoje in the 57th minute to become his country’s 865th representative.

It took just two minutes for Carr to handle the ball, but he looked like a seasoned pro at this level as he broke the line and off-loaded to scrumhalf Cobus Reinach for a crucial Bok try.

“As soon as I went on Duane Vermeulen called me aside and said, ‘Hey, I can see you’re nervous, but there’s nothing to worry about. It’s like Super Rugby, so enjoy it.’ After that I felt really calm,” said the smiling 23-year-old on Saturday night.

“I didn’t expect to get so much (game) time,” he added, “I thought I might only get five minutes but got a lot more than I imagined.

“When the game was so tight I didn’t think I would get on at all. But the coach had other ideas and it showed he backed me.”

Carr made his senior provincial debut for DHL WP in August 2011. He graduated to the DHL Stormers team in 2012, only for a serious knee injury to halt his progress.

The multi-skilled forward made his return to action in 2013, where he once again impressed at Super Rugby and Currie Cup level. But 2014 has quite obviously been his full breakthrough season which saw him rewarded with two big gongs (Players’ Player of the Year Award, adidas MVP Award) at the annual WP Rugby Awards… and then, of course, his Bok call-up.

Looking back at his impressive international debut, however, Carr remained as modest as ever.

“Sometimes things work out for you because I didn’t know what I was doing and I didn’t see the situation. Well, maybe I did a little… I saw some space and attacked it. The guy who tackled me pushed me in a way that my only option was to off-load. I heard Cobus on my right side and I played him in.

“There was a gap and I went through it. It was a huge part of the debut I’d dreamed about,” said Carr.

“Italy were very tough and it was the quickest, fastest and most physical game I’ve ever played. (But) I guess that’s what they mean by Test rugby.”

The Springboks are currently in Cardiff where they are preparing for this Saturday’s meeting with Wales at the Millennium Stadium and Carr will be hoping for another bite at the Bok cherry – having missed his brother’s wedding in Cape Town this past week to realise his Green & Gold dream.

He said: “Missing my brother’s wedding was worth it because I could him and the family a decent present. My whole family went over to my house and they all sat together watching the game.”