KEY POINTS:
Kieran Read's belated All Black debut drew an "outstanding" appraisal from his forward coach.
The blindside flanker was virtually a nationwide public choice for the test squad during the Tri Nations series but the national panel thought otherwise. They felt Read needed to be eased into the very top level of football and that his career would be better served with another provincial season.
That done and the national championship claimed under his watch, Read moved into the international ranks yesterday when he played blindside flanker in the All Blacks' 32-16 victory against Scotland in a personal performance that drew high praise from Steve Hansen.
Like many players before him, Read confessed his nerves had intensified before the test and were greater than at any other stage of his career.
"I suppose it is just the occasion of a test match though I felt I settled pretty quickly once I got out there," Read said.
"The guys were very encouraging with that, telling me to play my own game, and it was very helpful to have them around."
Read's reaction was similar to those of the other All Black debutants, Liam Messam and Jamie Mackintosh - they had been given the selection assurance they could play at test level and also knew it was natural to churn through some nerves on their once-in-a-lifetime international start.
"It is nice to know you have been chosen and put in a reasonable performance and it gives you a lot of confidence to know that you can perform at this level," Read said.
He would sleep contented he thought, though he was unsure how much sleep he would get as he replayed the first moments in what he hoped would be a lengthy association with the All Blacks.
"Initially, I am pretty happy with how it went and it was a good test, very demanding but I felt I came out of it all right," he said.
He had limited recollection of his part in the initial onslaught on a repeat Grand Slam trip.
"I just remember snippets of it. Like it was so fast, the ball was in play a lot and you ended up running around, chasing the game a lot, I don't recall a lot', just snippets," he said.
The intensity of the occasion and the pressure on the makeshift All Blacks XV had contributed to the different kind of pressure and expectation.
In his limited time after the test to run through a checklist of his impact, he felt he had contributed well to the lineouts, cleanout work and the abrasion the All Blacks needed to combat a physical Scots pack.
His nerves were helped early when his lineout steal started the move for the All Blacks' first try and from there his confidence grew.
That assurance had been helped greatly by the direction and encouragement from new captain Keven Mealamu and senior lock Ali Williams.
