Moodie admits Springbok dream came true much quicker than expected

It was less than a year ago that the 20-year-old winger made his debut for the Bulls, and he could hardly have dreamed that his first appearance in the green and gold of the Springboks would follow just a few months later.

That appearance came against the Wallabies in Sydney, and saw Moodie give immediate notice of his talent when he snatched an up-and-under out of the sky and ran in unopposed for a spectacular debut try.

It's certainly been a whirlwind 12 months for the youngster, and his reward at the end of the year was a nomination for SA Young Player of the Year in the SA Rugby awards alongside Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Jaden Hendrikse, Evan Roos and Henco van Wyk.

"I didn't expect it (his rise)," Moodie told the media.

"I went to a small school (Boland Landbou), 350 boys, a small farming school outside of Paarl. I never expected this to happen [so soon], I didn't think I'll become the second youngest ever Springbok to debut in the professional era.

"It's been a crazy year for me, I kept on working regardless of where I was. The dream to play for the Springboks was always there, and it came quicker than I thought."

While Moodie remains behind the likes of Makazole Mapimpi, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe in the Bok winger pecking order, Jacques Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus now know they have another reliable speedster waiting in the wings should the need arise.

Don't be surprised to see Moodie included in the Springbok squad for next year's World Cup in France, and he couldn't be happier about getting to share the stage with so many great players.

"For me, it was very exciting, these are world class players and that's where you want to be. To see how these guys are performing, you want to get to that point where you can perform against them.

"For me, it was motivation to make sure when I get back to the field I can do everything I can to get my spot back in the team or put the coaches on the toes on who to choose," he said.