When Stella Orrin was told she had made her first senior matchday squad, there were so many tears that Wales head coach Sean Lynn had to call her back just to make sure she got the message.

There was a similar outburst of emotion when Orrin stood for the national anthem ahead of making her debut off the bench in Wales’ victory over the Barbarians in June.

“It’s the best day of my life so far,” said the 20-year-old prop.

“I’m so proud. I’ve been working towards putting that jersey on for such a long time and it really means a lot to me.

“I remember when Lynny told me. Before the team is announced he has a one-to-one with you. I thought it was going to be bad news… I was just so emotional that I couldn’t take anything in. I just burst into tears.”

The only thing that could have topped Orrin’s Twickenham outing was if it had been a capped Test match, but that is something the young tight-head could achieve this autumn when Wales take on South Africa, USA and Japan in the WXV Global Series.

While Orrin admits she would burst with pride at the prospect, the former Wales Under-18s and Under-21s prop is biding her time.

“I really trust the coaches and the girls that are around me, my time will come,” she said.

“I’m in no rush to get there, but if I could it would be great.

“I’m so proud to be Welsh. It’s the country that welcomed my mother from France, it’s the country that I get to tell all my friends about when I go to university in Bristol.”

Like most internationals, Orrin has her family to thank for their support, with her rugby-playing dad the reason she started playing the game aged 13.

“He was no good,” Orrin says in fits of laughter. “I say no good, he just played social rugby in the valleys.

“I started playing the cello and rugby because I really wanted to be like him. He’s my idol.

“My parents come to every game and my dad buys tickets for all of our fixtures before I’ve even been picked.

“For all the Six Nations games when I was travelling reserve, all my family came. They were still so proud that I was running my tempos on the side.”

Orrin is currently being put through her paces during pre-season with Wales, before Lynn narrows his WXV training squad down ahead of their openenr against South Africa on 18 September.

It is Orrin’s second year training with the senior squad and credits players such as Donna Rose and Gwen Crabb in helping her step up from age-grade rugby.

“All the girls have to be fair. It’s quite surreal, especially last year when I came in for my first time,” said Orrin.

“These are people that you see on the telly and you’re all like ‘ooh it’s Jaz Joyce and Lisa Neumann’.

“But then you come in and you find out that they’re not just great players, they’re really incredible people.”