Richie, we’re nearly two thirds of the way through your first season at the Cardiff Blues how do you think it’s gone so far?

I feel it’s gone very well.  We were doing really well in the Magners League up until Christmas and then we lost a bit of momentum. We were all disappointed with the results against Leinster and Edinburgh however we have got back into training and the boys have been working hard. It’s been difficult during the last few weeks when we haven’t had matches but this week and last we’ve trained well and hopefully we’ll be back to winning ways against Munster.

It’s great to be back at the Arms Park as we haven’t played there for what seems like ages and we only have three home games left. We had a hard fought win against Munster out there so it will be good to get them on our own patch.

There is also a big Heineken Cup Quarter Final around the corner, how is the mood in the camp regarding that?

We are all focused on the Magners League but I can’t deny we are looking forward to the Toulouse match and are confident about it. We feel we have every chance of winning the match. Obviously Gareth Thomas has played out there and has some inside knowledge. I also played against them out there last season while at London Irish so it’s a great opportunity for us. It was a fantastic stadium to play in and a great atmosphere. We’ve got to go over there and show them what we’ve got rather than wait for them to play.

How do you think the season has gone for you personally?

Before I pulled my hamstring in the Bristol match in November I was pleased with how things were going. Since then I’ve had to keep the pressure on Jason Spice who’s been playing really well. I still have ambitions for playing for Wales, but obviously I need to play a bit more and improve on certain aspects of my game. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with London Irish, but it was a good opportunity to come back and one of the main reasons was to push for a place in the Wales squad.

What are you doing outside of rugby?

I graduated from UWIC after studying Sport and P.E. and got a 2:2, a gentleman drinker’s degree and I loved my time at university. I’m starting a two year part time course in secondary schools P.E. next year. I have to try to fit it around my rugby but then hopefully I will be a qualified P.E. Teacher after I finish my rugby career.