When I was 16, I would leave my home in Llangennith on the Gower at 5.30am for early-morning weights sessions at Swansea College.
My late mum Liz would be up early to do the driving and we’d pick Leigh Halfpenny up on the way. Those sessions were designed to prepare us for professional rugby.
After my mum would drop me and Leigh off, she’d go to work. I’d do the session then get a taxi to school. We’d all get home at about 9pm. They were long, tiring days.
I don’t think either Leigh or I thought when we were doing crack-of-dawn power cleans that we’d both win 100 caps for Wales and play for the Lions. But I have great memories of those days now I’ve announced I will retire from all rugby at the end of this season.
There are a couple of reasons for that. The first is I feel lucky to have had a training partner like Leigh. There was never a chance he was going to miss a session and we drove each other on. We were both extremely dedicated.
At that age, I’d take a two-litre bottle of water with me everywhere to stay hydrated and often wore a weighted vest to stay in good condition.
I’ll be able to look back on my career in years to come and think to myself ‘I bloody did alright.’
The thing I’m most proud of is giving my wife Alex and two boys James and Oliver a quality of life I could only have dreamed of when I was training at Swansea College
I hope my mum would have been proud of what I’ve achieved. I certainly am
I now realise I couldn’t have done it without my mum, who passed away from cancer in June 2021. I wouldn’t have achieved what I have were it not for her sacrifices and immense support
If my mum was still here today, she’d have bought 50 copies of this column! I owe her everything and still miss her dearly
The second is that looking back, I now realise I couldn’t have done it without my mum, who passed away from cancer in June 2021. I wouldn’t have achieved what I have were it not for her sacrifices and immense support.
I knew this moment was coming. But my only regret or sadness as I prepare to say goodbye to professional rugby is that my mum didn’t see more of the big moments in my career.
She missed my 100th Wales cap and me start at No 10 for the Lions. She missed the birth of my second son Oliver. I feel like it’s such a shame because she helped lay the foundations for what I’ve been able to achieve.
One thing is for certain. If my mum was still here today, she’d have bought 50 copies of this column! I owe her everything and still miss her dearly.
After retiring from international rugby at the end of the 2023 World Cup on my own terms, I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to do the same at club level.
It’s hard when you’re playing to see the wood from the trees and analyse what you’ve achieved because there’s always a next target appearing on the horizon.
But I’ll be able to look back on my career in years to come and think to myself ‘I bloody did alright.’ I hope my mum would have been proud of what I’ve achieved. I certainly am.
The thing I’m most proud of is giving my wife Alex and two boys James and Oliver a quality of life I could only have dreamed of when I was training at Swansea College. That’s my biggest achievement in the game.
My family has sacrificed so much for me to be successful and now it’s time the shoe was on the other foot
I don’t think either Leigh Halfpenny or I thought when we were doing crack-of-dawn power cleans that we’d both win 100 caps for Wales and play for the Lions
After retiring from international rugby at the end of the 2023 World Cup on my own terms, I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to do the same at club level
The thing I’ll miss most about rugby is matchday. I won’t miss training Monday to Friday. But that tells me I’m ready
My family has sacrificed so much for me to be successful and now it’s time the shoe was on the other foot. Am I disappointed and frustrated this year hasn’t quite panned out as I’d have liked with Toulon? Yes. But I’m not going to let the last 12 months define my career.
Time waits for no one. I haven’t played as much as I’d have liked this season. That’s been tough. But it would have been a lot tougher were it not for the support of my loving family.
I want to use this column to say a big thank you to my mum, my dad John, my wife Alex, my sons, sister Rachel and my grandparents who I’ve always called Mamo and Dado.
The games I have played for Toulon have probably told the story that I haven’t really been a part of their plans. I’ve been in the team for Stormers, Castres, Toulouse, La Rochelle and Sale – all away from home!
They say you know when it’s time to retire. And I know my time is now. At Toulon, Tuesday tends to be our double training day. On Wednesday mornings now, I am absolutely f*****. I could probably go on for another 12 or 18 months.
I could maybe get another contract elsewhere in France or potentially in Japan. But our family is happy on the Cote d’Azur. I wake up every morning here and can’t believe it. What I don’t want to do is move Alex and the two boys once again and maybe only for a year.
The thing I’ll miss most about rugby is matchday. I won’t miss training Monday to Friday. But that tells me I’m ready. The best thing about being a player is the team environment, the buzz of a big game and running out at huge stadiums with incredible atmospheres.
It’s the best feeling in the world, especially when playing in big matches for Wales at the Principality Stadium. To do that countless times and captain my country was a true privilege.
I could maybe get another contract elsewhere in France or potentially in Japan. But our family is happy on the Cote d’Azur. I wake up every morning here and can’t believe it
A special note too for Chris Boyd, who took me to Northampton and made me a vastly better player. I loved my time at Saints under Boydy, who helped me to see the game differently
I worked with Neil Jenkins from the age of 15. There’s a reason I gave him one of my shirts from my 100th Wales cap. He’s the best kicking coach there’s been
The best thing about being a player is the team environment, the buzz of a big game and running out at huge stadiums with incredible atmospheres
It’s the best feeling in the world, especially when playing in big matches for Wales at the Principality Stadium. To do that countless times and captain my country was a true privilege
I’ll find it hard not to be in the changing room. I will miss the p***-taking.
But I’m hoping that by staying involved in matches through my future work in the media, I’ll still be able to scratch that itch. I’m lucky I’m finishing rugby not only on my terms, but touch wood healthy and with no resentment towards the game.
Lots of players haven’t been able to do that. Not only that, I’m also lucky I’ve got lots of different things to move on to.
I’m loving my work in the media, including writing this column. I like giving my opinion from an analytical point of view. I feel I’ve got a knowledge that can help to inform people.
My aim in the media is to give a current point of view of what’s going on in the game. That’s what drives me. I do get frustrated with some things that are said because for me, they aren’t necessarily right. That’s where I feel I can make a difference.
I’d also like to mention Sean Holley and Neil Jenkins. Sean gave me my first chance at the Ospreys at a time when the public perception was that doing so was a bad move.
Sean had the belief to go with a young cocky 17-year-old. If he hadn’t and had stuck with James Hook, my career could have been very different. He took a real chance and believed in me. I’m grateful to Sean for that.
I worked with Jenks from the age of 15. There’s a reason I gave him one of my shirts from my 100th Wales cap. He’s the best kicking coach there’s been.
I’ll find it hard not to be in the changing room. I will miss the p***-taking
In the future, I would love to be considered for a coaching position that would help the next generation of young players in Wales with their kicking
If you’d told me during mydays at Swansea College I’d win 100 caps, three Six Nations titles, a Grand Slam, three Lions caps and play at three World Cups, I’d have said there was no chance!
With that in mind, I’ve surpassed even my wildest expectations
A special note too for Chris Boyd, who took me to Northampton and made me a vastly better player. I loved my time at Saints under Boydy, who helped me to see the game differently. Moving into the media is the easier path to coaching.
In the future, I would love to be considered for a coaching position that would help the next generation of young players in Wales with their kicking. But at the moment, I also can’t commit to a full-time coaching job because the time and pressure that comes with it is not something I’m prepared to do.
There’s still a good chance my last season with Toulon could end with silverware. We’re third in the Top14 and into the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup.
But whatever happens, I can hang my boots up at the end of the season and move on to the next chapter happy with my lot.
If you’d told me during my training days at Swansea College I’d win 100 caps, three Six Nations titles, a Grand Slam, three Lions caps and play at three World Cups, then I’d have told you there was absolutely no chance!
With that in mind, I’ve surpassed even my wildest expectations.
My 5 most memorable games
Leinster 30 Ospreys 31, 2012 Guinness Pro12 final
It was a brilliant match, full of drama and a scrap in the tunnel at half time! For me to convert Shane Williams’ try with a few minutes to go to win it by a point was great drama and an unbelievable feeling. Leinster had won the European Cup the week before, so as an Ospreys team we definitely caused a big upset.
Wales 30 England 3, 2013 Six Nations
This game will still be being talked about 50 years from now. I’ll certainly never forget it. To not only deny England a Grand Slam but win the Six Nations title in such comprehensive fashion made for the perfect day. It was the best atmosphere I experienced at the Principality Stadium.
The 30-3 win over England in 2013 will still be being talked about 50 years from now. I’ll certainly never forget it
Winning away to an England side hosting the World Cup in 2015 was a huge moment in my career. It was the first time people recognised me on a global stage
The 2015 Six Nations clash with Ireland summed me up as a player – physicality, game management, character and accuracy. I also nailed a long-range drop goal!
Wales 23 Ireland 16, 2015 Six Nations
Many people might not remember this game that well. But if there was a match that summed me up as a player, this was it. It was 80 minutes where physicality, game management, character and accuracy were key. Those attributes were what I did best in a Wales shirt. I also nailed a long-range drop goal!
England 25 Wales 28, 2015 World Cup
Winning away to an England side hosting the World Cup was a huge moment in my career. It was the first time people recognised me on a global stage, predominantly for the 25 points I scored but also for my ‘Biggarena’ kicking routine! I remember standing in the centre of the pitch before kick-off and thinking to myself there is nowhere else I’d rather be.
Wales 16 South Africa 19, 2019 World Cup
This is one of the most memorable games in my career perhaps because of the regret I’ll always have that we let slip a chance to become world champions. To lose a World Cup semi-final to South Africa by just a penalty was gutting. It feels ridiculous saying this with where Wales are at now, but I truly believe if we’d won this game there was a good chance we’d have beaten England in the final and lifted the Webb Ellis Cup. That shows how good that Wales team was.
My 5 toughest opponents
Sean McMahon
His name might surprise some people. When we played Australia in the 2015 World Cup, the Wallabies had Michael Hooper and David Pocock who were immense. But in that game, McMahon spent the whole 80 minutes just whacking me! He hit so, so hard and was just everywhere. I had nightmares about him for weeks!
Dan Carter
He is the best 10 to have played the game for me. It was ridiculously hard for me to face him because I was at the start of my career and he was Dan Carter! Mentally, I found it hard to think I was deserving of being on the same pitch as him.
Johnny Sexton
We had so many duels. Johnny gave you nothing. He made it a battle every time you played him. You knew you had to be at 90 or 95 per cent to even get anything because he never dropped below those standards.
Johnny Sexton gave you nothing. He made it a battle every time you played him. You knew you had to be at 90 or 95 per cent to even get anything
I have to put Antoine Dupont in. There have been times I’ve played against him where you just can’t get near him
In his prime between 2011 and 2015, Julian Savea was part of a truly brilliant New Zealand team. Physically, he was ridiculous and an absolute try machine
Antoine Dupont
I have to put him in. There have been times I’ve played against him where you just can’t get near him. One of the best to have ever played the game and perhaps the best.
Julian Savea
In his prime between 2011 and 2015, he was part of a truly brilliant New Zealand team. Physically, he was ridiculous and an absolute try machine. He was nicknamed ‘The Bus’ and he certainly threw me off in one game in Cardiff when he sent me flying!
