The route to international stardom can seem straightforward. Create a buzz in a top academy, shine for the first-team and get a call-up to the national side with just a handful of Under-20 caps in your back pocket.
But more often than not the distance from A to B takes a footballer via every letter of the alphabet. For these five players the journey to International rugby has been anything but routine.
#1. Liam Williams (Wales)
The speedster was not picked up by any of the Welsh regional professional academies, and hence aged 16 started working as a trainee scaffolder at Port Talbot Steelworks, whilst continuing to play in his spare time. He was signed by Scarlets aged 20 and went onto become a star for club and country after making his Test debut in 2012.
