Unbelievably excited. We’ve got a young group which feels fresh and new. It’ll be good to try and keep up the momentum from the World Cup.
Do you ever take your selection for granted?
Never. I’m looking at the average age now and I’m starting to feel a bit old! You start to think, ‘how many more squads have I got left?’. You can probably count them on one hand, so every selection is a dream.
Last year’s Six Nations was obviously a disappointing one – what do you feel Wales learned from it?
I think to simplify it. Don’t get away from the hard work. You’re not reinventing the wheel. Hard work pays off – I think we know that now and it’s a young group that can find their identity and offer us something different.
What should be the aims this around?
All of it. We should be going in for everything. Other than that, it’s holding ourselves accountable to who we are and where we want to set the standard regardless of theperformances or the outcome.
As you said, it’s a very different-looking Wales squad. Some experienced players have retired, so it’s a chance for the new faces to shine?
100 per cent. They’ve got all the opportunity in the world to take off and then you don’t know where it will go. It’s exciting for them, I’ve just got to make sure I can keep up!
What advice would you give them?
Try and make it your own. Don’t worry about other people and what perceptions they may have. Don’t worry whether you should or shouldn’t be here – you’re here for a reason, now go out and show people what you can do.
Scotland are up first – what sort of test do you expect from them?
A big test. The way they run the ball is so fluid and the way Finn Russell plays the line is brilliant. They’re a great team who are fun to watch so it’s going to be a tough game. I thinkit will be quite a running game, but Mike Forshaw has got a lot of tools for our defence to shut them down. I like to think it will be a good attacking game and we can really go at each other. I’m excited for it.
Playing in front of a full house at Principality is a great way to start the tournament, isn’t it?
Principality is pretty special when it’s packed like that, it really is. It’s pretty amazing.
How long did it take you to get over Wales’ World Cup exit?
I haven’t really had time to think about it as I was straight back into my club rugby. But we had a couple of Argentinianscome into our team and when I saw them it opened up old wounds!
Wales weren’t even backed by some to get out of the group stages. Does the fact the squad were so disappointed by a quarter-final exit show how far we’ve come since the last Six Nations?
We just didn’t listen to anyone else. We believed in ourselves and maybe that’s the most important lesson for us – just tokeep backing ourselves and not listen to the outside noise. But we can’t be happy settling for ‘we did well’, we need to keep pushing our standards and keep holding ourselves accountable.
Were Warren Gatland’s renowned fitness camps in Turkey and Switzerland really as torturous as we’re led to believe?
I didn’t enjoy them one bit! They’re probably like a lot of other ones out there for the other nations, but I hated them. I don’t do well in 50-degree heat anyway as I’m quite pale so that was pretty tough and then the altitude left me struggling to get upstairs sometimes.
When it comes to Wales and the Six Nations, what are the games that jump out?
I enjoy all the games, but I just love the home ones. I know I’m biased, but I just think Principality is the best stadium to play in bar none. Any home game against any team, but especially England or Scotland is pretty lively and tasty – they’re the special ones.
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