Grand Slam Man (3 page)

Chapter Six

SEALING THE SLAM

There had been a lot of hype surrounding us ever since coming back from the World Cup, but it reached a new level ahead of the France game. I'd never experienced anything like it. There was a lot more media interest, but we didn't want to treat the run-up any differently from earlier weeks. The previous year, when we went out to France for the final game of the championship, the boys had said to the coaches that they felt a bit tired, and as a result we had a lighter week, and ended up getting slaughtered. So after the Italy game, Warren Gatland said that wasn't going to happen again and to be ready for a hard week. We had some tough training. We treated it no different to what we had done for any of the other games. We had to make sure we played well. But it was good preparation. I remember that the last team run was quite relaxed, but we were ready. We'd taken our defence coach Shaun Edwards's advice to keep cool heads, and not get wound up too early. It's all about switching on at the right time.

The match day was brilliant, especially driving into Cardiff on the team coach. Westgate Street was packed. We had the horses walking in front of the bus. It's mad how you always pick out one or two people from the crowd that you know. It may be someone you played rugby with once, or a cousin, or a family friend. They just happen to be there. The drivein means such a lot. It really sets the mood.

A lot of us had never beaten France before, so it seemed a massive challenge but one we were really looking forward to. We were going out there to get a win and hoping it would be a huge occasion for us. And I was really looking forward to the challenge of playing against the French back row.

I remember it was quite warm inside the Millennium Stadium. I started off wearing my scrum cap, but I soon had to chuck it because it was so hot I started to feel stifled. As it turned out, it was one of those games where everything just went right for me and I ended up getting Man of the Match. Everything seemed to fall into place. When I went to make a tackle, even if my timing was out a bit I still ended up clipping them and they would fall over. It was a really tight game, with just the one try, Alex Cuthbert scoring another great touchdown in the first half, and putting us in front.

I was absolutely exhausted going in at halftime. I'd taken a couple of hits to the head and I couldn't really see properly. I'd split my nose and my eye. So I can't tell you what Warren and Shaun Edwards were saying at halftime because I was getting stitched up on the bed.

I remember they injected my nose to stitch it, but when it came to my eye they asked if they could just do it. I said go on then. So I was getting my eye stitched up on the bed without anaesthetic. I got off the bed and tried to go back to my place and was a bit lightheaded. I was in a bit of a state, really, but knew I had to dig deep. That's what it's all about. My former captain at the Dragons, Luke Charteris, used to sum it up quite well in his team-talk. He said, ‘It's eighty minutes of pain you've got to put yourself through.' I remember thinking: ‘This is forty minutes of pain I've got to dig in for.' So that's what I did.

All the boys dug deep. We were just not going to let that lead slip and, minute by minute, the Slam got closer and closer. Finally the clock reached eighty minutes.

Rhys Priestland kicked the ball out, the whistle went and I was on my knees. All the boys were jumping around and going mad. I remember our fitness trainer, Dan Baugh, came running on and gave me a hug. I must admit I did get pretty emotional for a moment.

To win a Grand Slam was an incredible feeling. It was the third one Wales had won in eight years, but before that they had gone twentyseven years without winning one. I remember Scott Quinnell saying he was jealous because he never had a chance to win a Slam. For me to have done something that such a legend in a game hasn't done really puts it in perspective. It's something to really treasure.

Because I was Man of the Match, I was interviewed live on television straight after the game. When I was interviewed I was just looking all round, everywhere but at the interviewer. I was trying to take it all in. Trying to savour those moments. I was so chuffed. It was a great feeling.

A lot of my friends from back home had been watching the game in a bar in Cardiff city centre. I was on the big screen in the pub, being interviewed, and they were trying to ring my phone and text me, which is quite funny, looking back. I've looked at a few of the pictures of me walking round the stadium after the game and I'm just staring up at the stands and around. You try to take it in as best you can. It was an awesome experience and I was just drained by the end of it. But the blood sweat and tears we'd put into it almost made it that much more special.

We went up to get the trophy, and standing there was a big moment. It meant all the more to me that my family was there, and to see them after the game was brilliant. We went to the Hilton Hotel for the after-match dinner and a big crowd of fans had gathered there. As we walked through everyone was tapping us and saying well done. Because we won, the aftermatch speeches went on for ages. I remember nearly falling asleep because I was so shattered from the game.

The boys were going for a few drinks after the match to celebrate but I didn't feel like drinking because I was so shattered and beat up from the game. I just wanted to go to bed.

I did stay out until about 1 or 2 o'clock, but then went back to the Vale. I was just so tired.

The next day I felt as if I'd been run over by a bus. But it was worth it. The scars and bruises all heal, and they can never take away the fact we won the Grand Slam. I am really proud to be part of that.

I do enjoy just playing rugby, but at the top level you also want to achieve things. That's what pushes you on and makes you a better player. And what better than to be able to say, ‘I'm a Grand Slam winner!'

I know that when I hang up my boots and finish playing that I will get huge satisfaction from it. I will be able to look back and think, ‘That was awesome.'

Chapter Seven

GRAND SLAM AFTERMATH

The day after we won the Grand Slam, I went into my local supermarket in Newport to pick up a few groceries and an old couple came up to me. They said well done for yesterday, and the old lady put her hand out to shake my hand. As I went to shake it, she turned mine over and kissed me on the hand. I was looking round and thinking, ‘I hope no one saw that!' I didn't know how to react to it. I didn't know whether to do it back. So I just said thank you, and walked off.

That was the moment I realised things might be a bit different from now on. We knew there had been a real buzz back home during the World Cup, especially with the Millennium Stadium opening up for everyone to watch the semi-final against France. But we hadn't experienced it ourselves because we were over in New Zealand. This time it was different, because we were back home.

People really got behind Wales during the Six Nations. I think there was a real feel-good factor within the country. People were going into work on that Monday morning after the Grand Slam with smiles on their faces and a spring in their step, just because we did it, and I think that's really great.

The Dragons gave me a week off playing, which was good because the championship had taken its toll on me. It had been so physical and I felt battered. So I was thankful for the break to let my body recover, but it was still a pretty hectic time off the field.

Because we had won the Slam, the whole of the Wales squad was invited to the Senedd – the National Assembly building – in Cardiff Bay for a civic reception. I had never been there before and didn't know what to expect. But it was brilliant. I think about 10,000 people turned up! It just shows how much people appreciated what we did. It was a great feeling.

You get to meet a lot of nice people in rugby, especially when you go out to different clubs and grounds. People are really friendly, and they all want to say well done.

A couple of days after the France game, Sara from the Dragons rang me up and said, ‘Congratulations, you've won the RBS Player of the Tournament.' She said, ‘I've got the award in a box here, so come down for a picture.' I agreed and asked who was giving it to me. She said, ‘I will if you want.' I said, ‘Brilliant!' So I received it from her.

I was really surprised to get the award and genuinely chuffed. It was a massive honour to win, especially given the quality of the other players up for the award. I was really grateful to everyone who voted for me. I don't usually pick up any Man of the Match awards, so to do it at international level and to get two of them in the Six Nations, and then the Player of the Tournament, meant a massive amount. It topped off an amazing competition for me.

It makes me think just how far I've come since I started out in international rugby. In my first start against Australia in 2010, I was really shocked by the speed of the game and I felt like I was chasing shadows. But then, the following year, I played against them again and knew what to expect. It was the same when I stepped up from semipro to regional level; the more you play the more you know what to expect, and you slowly get into it. Then you start building on your performances and that's what I've tried to do all my career. When I finish playing rugby I will look at the Six Nations award on the mantelpiece with pride but the thing I will take away and savour more than anything is being involved with that bunch of boys at that time. For so many of us young guys, it was our first time winning anything and we were all so delighted.

What we have achieved as a group of players is testament to the hard work that everyone puts in, not just the players, but the back room staff and everyone involved. The calibre of players means you pick things up from them, players like Ryan Jones, Gethin Jenkins or someone else. The whole Wales squad has real ambition and we all want to be the best we can be. There's a never-say-die attitude within the group and it's a fantastic environment. Of course, we know other nations are developing as well. I think that as long as we keep our heads down and work hard we will be fine, but it's important not to get carried away and we must never get ahead of ourselves. We really do have to take it game by game. That's certainly the way I approach it.

I do get asked quite often whether my life has changed since the Grand Slam and the Six Nations award and whether I get more attention now. The answer is that things have changed a bit, but it hasn't been a problem. When we came back from the World Cup in 2011, Sam Warburton got a lot of recognition in terms of people coming up to him when he was out, but nobody seemed to bat an eyelid at me! Now, I do get people stopping me in the street – and in the supermarket! In the last couple of games of the Six Nations, I'd taken my scrumcap off because I'd been too hot, so maybe that's why people started recognising me!

So, yes, I do get recognised more now since the Grand Slam, but I don't mind it. Everyone who comes up and wants a chat is really friendly. And we all appreciate people saying well done, and telling us we're really good at what we do. We all like a pat on the back and a bit of praise.

I remember last summer I went home to midWales when the local carnival was on. I was catching up with a few old school mates there, but every couple of minutes I was tapped on the back and asked to pose for a picture. My mates said, ‘Doesn't that annoy you?' And it is sometimes hard when you are trying to have a conversation, but as long as everyone is friendly I really don't mind, especially with younger kids. It wasn't so long ago I was there wanting autographs myself. I remember going to the Royal Welsh Show near Builth Wells when the Scarlets were there one year and getting my picture taken with Scott Quinnell and Stephen Jones. (It's weird to think I've now played alongside Stephen for Wales. Weird, but brilliant.)

So while I certainly don't go looking for the limelight, it does mean a lot to have the backing and support of the public, and it was great to see how much the Grand Slam meant to people in Wales.

Chapter Eight

DISAPPOINTMENT DOWN UNDER

Having been crowned champions of Europe, the next challenge for us was to win in the southern hemisphere. We had the opportunity when we headed Down Under to take on Australia in a three Test series last summer. We went out there full of confidence. Even though it had been a long season, we were looking forward to getting back together as a squad. We always knew it was going to be tough down there and not many teams go to the southern hemisphere and get results. But we were definitely up for it and really excited about getting stuck into them.

Playing the Aussies on their own turf would see us move right out of our comfort zone. We were used to playing them at the Millennium Stadium where everyone was always behind us. But playing down there was just what we needed in terms of taking up the next challenge and pushing us on.

It would be huge for us if we could get a scalp. And playing the best in the world was the only way we were going to find out how good we were.

It had obviously been a long season, what with the build-up to the World Cup. But none of the players would ever turn down the opportunity to wear the red jersey. Every time you play, you know it could be your last time and that makes you want to give everything.

The opening Test was in Brisbane and I found that game really hard, especially the first half.

I hadn't played for six weeks and for some of the boys it was longer. In that first half we were all really blowing – it was so difficult getting up to speed again. That was one of the first times we almost felt we'd been outplayed. I didn't like that. But the Wallabies were already into their Super 15 rugby season, so they'd hit the ground running.

The Aussie skipper David Pocock is always going to win turnovers, but in that first game he was making loads of them. I remember going in for halftime and Shaun Edwards telling us that we'd all been there before. He said that we'd got the shock out of our system now. So we came out for the second half and seemed to get into the game more. Even when we were behind we had the same positive feeling as in the Six Nations, thinking we were going to win, but it wasn't to be this time.

However, we had a chance to make amends a week later in Melbourne. You always go out to prove yourself, but in that second Test we had even more to prove.

We got off to a really good start. George North scored a try pretty much straight away and we were off and running. It was a close game all the way through, but with just a couple of minutes to go we were still in front.

What happened next was hard to take. They were awarded a penalty, kicked to touch, set up the lineout drive and we were penalised for bringing it down. Then we just had to wait as their replacement Mike Harris lined up the penalty to win the game. It was out of our hands. They had missed one just before, so there was hope. But, fair play to him, he slotted it. We saw the kick sail over and our hearts sank. In the Six Nations at the end of the Ireland game, Leigh Halfpenny had slotted a penalty to win the game for us and now it was our turn to be on the receiving end.

It was hard to swallow, thinking we had almost done it, only to lose the match right at the death. There were eighty minutes up on the clock, and the hooter had sounded. We had put so much into the game. Blood sweat and tears had gone into it. We were shattered, devastated. It was tough in the changing room afterwards.

Rob Howley, who was standing in as caretaker coach for the injured Warren Gatland, said he couldn't have asked for anything more from us in terms of effort. And, yes, we had given it our all. We'd battled hard and it was a definite improvement on the previous week. But we had lost the series and we were gutted. We are a close bunch and it really did hurt. We are as big Welsh supporters as anyone back home and to come so close and still not get it was hard to take.

It is an honest environment within the camp and we had meetings after the game and reviewed the tape of the game, as we always do. The video is up on the screen and you are asked what you were thinking at the time and what would you do again in the same situation. It's hard to watch when it's you on screen, if you've missed a tackle for them to score, or given away a crucial penalty. You don't want to be the one up there.

But everyone makes mistakes. No one has a perfect game. A lot of it is down to the opposition you are playing against. They are trying to spoil your attack and you are trying to do exactly the same to them. It's the way it is. The main thing is that you learn from it.

After that Melbourne game the coaches gave us three days off to clear our heads, and then we went into the last Test in Sydney. We still had something to prove. Although we'd lost the series, we still wanted to get a scalp out there. To salvage something from the trip.

We had chances again, but made just too many errors. Credit to the Aussies, they took their chances well and kicked their points. It was our last opportunity and it wasn't good enough.

I was again absolutely gutted. We'd been getting closer and closer. We'd lost by eight points, then two, then one. But we still lost. When you play these big teams, you've got to perform the best you can and take your chances. We'd had chances to win all three games, but hadn't taken them and that was hugely disappointing.

Australia are a quality side and to come so close to beating them showed we had been making progress and weren't a million miles off it. But we want to be winning games out there.

In international rugby, it's those three points that make the difference. One penalty less in each of the games, and it might have been a different story.

I was so disappointed we couldn't get a result out there, but it was still a good experience because I'd never played in Australia before. To go up against their back row, which was really formidable, was a fantastic challenge. I learned a lot and I found myself coming back home with a lot more confidence, despite the results.

I was also relieved I didn't have to have an ankle operation when I got home. I'd been troubled by it for a while, but I went away to Australia and the injury somehow healed itself. One day I woke up and I didn't have any pain in it any more, which was brilliant.

I came back home, saw the surgeon and he said if it didn't hurt there was no point in having an operation. So that at least was one result that went my way Down Under.

But, as fate would have it, it wasn't too long before I did find myself going in for surgery – on the other ankle. Only a few weeks into the new season I broke my left leg just above the ankle while playing for the Dragons against Edinburgh. So, once again in my career, I found myself facing a lengthy lay-off and a fight to get back to fitness.