A new class of international rugby rookies enters the 2022 Six Nations awaiting their chance to make a mark as fully fledged internationals.
Some coaches have made a conscientious effort to reduce the average age among their squads of late, while other youngsters are set to be awarded bigger responsibilities due to injuries and other absences.
Many of those aged 23 and below have already made their senior debuts or are highly regarded at club level, but the Six Nations will serve as a truer test of their talents at the top of their field.
Some starlets will serve as little more than mascots as they struggle for chances during this tournament, whereas others warrant more serious attention for potential playing time in the coming weeks.
Mirror Sport highlights some of the most promising under-23 up-and-comers who fall under the latter category and stand a serious chance of making a Six Nations impact between now and the end of March.
1. Ollie Chessum (England, Leicester Tigers)
Eddie Jones has trimmed his England squad down to a slender 29 for Saturday's Murrayfield opener away to Scotland, and many were intrigued by the fact Ollie Chessum was one of those retained.
It makes sense to keep the 21-year-old lock around given Courtney Lawes and Jonny Hill have each been ruled out of the first-round fixture, leaving Nick Isiekwe and Charlie Ewels as the competition to partner Maro Itoje.
Chessum—a 6'7" monolith who debuted for Leicester Tigers only 18 months ago—must have made a big impression in his first camp and is now the only uncapped forward still among the squad.
One would expect opportunities may dry up again once Hill is back fit, but with no certainty as to when he'll recover from his foot issue, Chessum looks a promising pick for an imminent debut (and possibly more).
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2. Jules Favre (France, La Rochelle)
Only one player so far this season has scored more tries in the Top 14 than La Rochelle's Jules Favre, whose haul of seven tries in 13 games is far more refined than the five he managed in his previous 47 league appearances.
Something has clicked for the 22-year-old, rewarded with his first France call-up ahead of a potential debut in any number of positions under Fabien Galthie, who continues to show age is not among his concerns as coach.
Favre has proved he's a threat whether fielded out wide or tasked to create at inside centre, and Galthie's success with experimental methods means even this uncapped prospect could come to play a big role.
3. Dan Sheehan (Ireland, Leinster)
One would be forgiven mistaking Dan Sheehan for a centre or slightly larger-than-average winger following the manner in which he's gone about his business for Leinster this season.
But the latest talent to graduate from Clongowes Wood College—the school that produced the likes of Gordon D'Arcy, Tadhg Beirne and Kearney brothers Rob and Dave—is a fine example of rugby's newest model of hooker.
The 23-year-old finds himself in the odd position of being second to Leinster team-mate Ronan Kelleher—only 24 himself—for both club and country, but there have been calls from some fans to revise that pecking order.
One can see why, too, given Sheehan's alarming comfort cutting the kind of lines to make most centres envious, as well as impressing at the set piece to collect 13 tries in only 21 outings for Leinster thus far.
Ulster's Rob Herring, 31, is somewhere in Ireland 's hooker rotation as well, but it's two-cap Sheehan who stands to benefit should Kelleher succumb to injury or Andy Farrell signal any doubt in his first-choice status.
4. Rory Darge (Scotland, Glasgow Warriors)
If you don't know by now, you will soon.
Rory Darge is creating a huge amount of buzz in Scottish circles (and among those just genuinely fascinated by his talents) but has been blocked from making his breakthrough under Gregor Townsend until now.
Fans of the United Rugby Championship will also be well-acquainted with the player, who routinely accumulates tackle tallies in the teens and stands up well to seasoned veterans despite being only 21.
Last year's move to Glasgow Warriors from Edinburgh has seen flanker Darge come on another level, and what he lacks in size and stature right now, he makes up for in brilliant technique and an engine that will not stop.
Regardless of the competition coming from the likes of Hamish Watson, Jamie Ritchie, Magnus Bradbury and fellow new boy Andy Christie, many believe Darge deserves to start even among a fully fit squad.
5. Jac Morgan (Wales, Ospreys)
Back-row competition is steep for Wales even with the likes of Justin Tipuric, Dan Lydiate, Josh Navidi and Taulupe Faletau lost to injury—but even then, Ospreys prospect Jac Morgan can't be discounted.
One need only look as far as Taine Basham's boisterous arrival on the senior scene in 2021 as evidence for how quickly one's profile can grow in the national team, and 22-year-old seed Morgan should be next to bloom.
And like Basham, Morgan has carried on the Welsh tradition of producing breakdown disciples of the highest order, not to mention the Ospreys man—who is thriving since he left Scarlets last summer—is a fearsome carrier.
It's not just the jackal in which Morgan has proved to be adept, either, having totted up more tackles in the United Rugby Championship than any other player so far this season (144—or an average of 18 per game).
One would imagine it will be Basham, Aaron Wainwright, Ross Moriarty and Ellis Jenkins who rank highest in Wayne Pivac's back-row selection, but the latter pair may struggle to stay fit given their injury woes in the past.
6. Marcus Smith (England, Harlequins)
Following a whirlwind 2021 in which he was crowned a Premiership champion with Harlequins and made his senior England debut, many might consider Marcus Smith past 'break-out' point by now.
But while November wins over South Africa and Australia served as a key litmus test, make no bones about it: The 2022 Six Nations will be considered the effective genesis of the 22-year-old's England career.
Once encumbered by claims from his own coach that he needed someone like Owen Farrell to "run the game for him," the captain's injury absence means this will be our first sight of Smith's England in earnest.
Well-established as a talismanic talent at The Stoop and only five caps into his days as a Test player, Smith looks set to come into his own as his nation's No. 10 of the future.
