On the outside looking in Six Nations campaign?
SAM Warburton hasn’t played since skippering Warren Gatland’s Lions to a commendable drawn Test series with world champions New Zealand last July.
The Wales and Blues flanker won’t return to action until next season but worked as a television pundit for the BBC during the Six Nations, impressing listeners with his thoughts.
Here’s his assessment of the campaign, his Welsh player of the year, its most promising player and his Six Nations player of the tournament.
Did you enjoy being a television pundit during the Six Nations?
SAM Warburton: I did about seven or eight games and I loved it. I enjoyed being there at the coal face in the stadiums.
I try and give people a little bit on an insight into rugby because it is complicated and you get more casual fans watching the internationals as opposed to the regional games, where you get die-hard supporters.
I try get a little bit across about the game to educate people about what’s going on. If somebody who has coached a youth team can watch it and perhaps understand something I have broken down and apply it to their team, all well and good.
Which is the more nerve-racking, playing or being a pundit?
SW: No disrespect to punditry but it’s a piece of cake compared to playing. I’ve been getting cameras shoved in front of me since I was Wales Under19s captain 10 years ago so I’ve got used to it.
If I was talking about politics or ice skating I would be nervous because I don’t know about those subjects.
So you don’t fancy being on the BBC’s Question Time panel?
SW: No, definitely not, I don’t even go on Question of Sport for that reason, because it would be embarrassing.
But, because I’m talking about rugby I know what I’m talking about and there’s nothing to be nervous about. I actually really enjoy trying to get across the game to the casual fan.
Who’s been your Welsh player of the season?
SW: Aaron Shingler for the impact he’s had. He’s always been a top player around the set up but it’s just small things.
Everyone knows he’s great with his athleticism and has got speed but what he’s been really good at is just being aggressive and a nuisance at the breakdown, doing what top-class back-rowers should do but a lot don’t.
He’s off-loading much more than I think he did in the early days of his career. Perhaps the Scarlets’ philosophy has brought that out.
So, if you add that on to what he was already extremely strong at, you can see why he’s been so influential for the Scarlets and Wales.
He’s just a great option to have in the back-row. You could pick up to nine back-rowers who could play for Wales but it’s picking the best players who can complement each other or for the tactics for a particular game.
It’s about balance. He complements the guys he played with really well, when you have got guys like ‘Toby’ Faletau and Josh Navidi, who can perhaps do a little bit more ballcarrying or stuff on the floor with Shingler a go-to line-out man.
I just thought the combinations worked really well and he fitted in there nicely. Who’s been your most promising player in Welsh rugby this season?
SW: I’ve got to be careful because I don’t want to build up people too much. There’s one player who comes to my mind straight away but I’m going to try and think of someone else because I don’t want to look biased because he’s a Whitchurch boy like me!
You can name a couple if you want?
SW: I really like Owen Lane, considering where he’s come from. Probably, in pre-season, he didn’t think he was going to be getting many games.
Kids come through the academy system and, yes, they’ve got nice skills and a good professional attitude but sometimes you look at them athletically and think physicially they might make regional but not international level.
But I think Owen has got the athleticism and physicality to play international rugby in time. To be his age, as confident and physically aggressive as he is, he’s had a great start so far.
I think he’s been Blues and Wales’ most promising player.
I would say Seb Davies as well but I’ve known about him for a couple of years.
He’s been playing senior rugby for a year or two and is developing into a real modern-day second row.
He can do everything, he’s a real athlete playing second-row and that’s hard to define.
A lot of second-rows these days are manufactured – they’re just big guys who are given a rugby ball but Seb is an athlete who has decided to play second-row. I think he’s gifted as well.
Who was your Six Nations player of the tournament?
SW: Jacob Stockdale was good, he’s a very clinical finisher. I met him just before the Six Nations actually, doing a promotional thing and he’s big.
When I saw him, I thought from behind he was a back-rower, a six or an eight but when he turned around, it was Jacob and I thought: ‘Crikey, he’s a big boy’.
He’s in the Tommy Bowe mould