Callum Braley described his Italy debut as “one of the proudest days of my life.”
The Gloucester scrum-half posted a heart-warming message on Instagram alongside a picture of his wife Abbie and son Buddy, who was born earlier this summer, after coming off the bench to win his first cap in the 29-10 defeat to Ireland at the Aviva Stadium.
He said: “So thankful for all the support I’ve received so far up to this point in my career and for those coaches that have helped me achieve what I have!
“Especially grateful for the support from my Family, yesterday was a very special day for us all!
“And to have Buddy there and see him after the game topped of one of the proudest days of my life, I hope he grows up proud of his Dad! Thank you for all the love.”
He was also supported by his former Gloucester star, Billy Burns, who now plays for Ulster and is Irish-qualified, with current club and international team-mate Jake Polledri watching from the stands.
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Braley has previously captained England Under-20s but qualifies for Italy through his grandfather and is now hoping to earn a place in their 31-man squad for the World Cup in Japan, which starts next month.
Meanwhile, Gloucester lock Franco Mostert celebrated winning The Rugby Championship with South Africa as he played the full 80 minutes in their 46-13 win over Argentina.
He wrote on Instagram: "Amazing day to do what we love."
