But the 24-year-old, who was captain of the South Africa Under-20 team at the 2010 Junior World Championships, soon endeared himself to the fans, making his first PRO12 start against Glasgow Warriors and scoring twice - including an 80m run for the line.
He certainly has a knack of bursting out of the blocks each year, with two tries in the second game of last season and three in his first two appearances of this GUINNESS PRO12 campaign.
Stander has not looked back this season, appearing in all bar three of Munster's league games and moving onto six tries for the season - only Ospreys scrum-half Rhys Webb and Ulster's Craig Gilroy have more.
And with the Munstermen currently third in the table and well positioned for a shot at the play-offs, don't bet against Stander throwing in another big stint between now and the end of the season.
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