You've had quite a year, from breaking into the Wales squad to being named Lions man of the series.
Yeah, it's been meteoric and pretty crazy, really. As a young player in your first couple of pro seasons, you're just hoping that you establish yourself in a club team and take it from there. But it has all come so soon for me. It's nuts to think there are guys in their late 20s and 30s who are reaching the pinnacle of their career, which is the Lions Test shirt, and I had it at the age of 22. It brings a huge responsibility, but you take it in your stride, and prepare to be a marked man!

A bit of a change from being a secret weapon for Wales and Cardiff last year?
Definitely. I'll see how I cope with that, but I'm sure there will be a few tricks up my sleeve. We'll see…

Can you describe the thrill of pulling on a Lions jersey for the first time?
It's something you never forget. I was picked for the first tour match, against the Royal 15, and there was a plaque in the changing room before the start, listing the names of players who'd played in my position before for The Lions - Jeremy Guscott, Will Greenwood - real legends of the game. And that's when it hit home how big it is, and how much of an honour and a privilege it is.

What was your most memorable tour moment?
Well… we were invited to go shooting one night on a farm owned by Ollie Le Roux, who used to be a South Africa prop. It's a tradition that, after your first kill, you have to cut the springbok's throat and rub its warm blood on your face. Then, if it's a male, you eat its testicle, and if it's female, you gut it and take a chunk of its liver. Unfortunately, I shot a male and… well… it was the most disgusting thing I have ever done. I ate raw testicle. It was beyond a joke. The thing is, there was so much peer pressure. You can't say no, out of respect for the guys who took us shooting. But it was disgusting. I was almost being sick as I was eating it. It was crunchy, a bit like calamari… and warm. It must have been funny for everyone else.

Who was the biggest tour joker?
Besides myself?! Well, put it this way… there's another version of the famous Living With The Lions DVD being put out from this tour, and I think it will all be about Andy Powell, who plays number eight for Wales. He's ridiculously stupid and everybody loves him to bits for his comedy value.

What have you got that some of the young talents you came through against didn't have?
Um… that's a tough one. I think, a bit of intellect. Yep. Gets you a long way in rugby because it's a thinking man's game - top two inches.

You're currently at medical school. Do you still want to be a doc?
I've done three years and I'll do the last two part-time over four years in hospital. It makes a change from training to put on a shirt and tie, and stroll around the wards.

Do you swear much on the pitch?
Yes! [Enthusiastically embraces the idea.] I swear quite a lot. Not really off it, but on the pitch, in the heat of battle, I get wound up and start using words which you wouldn't hear me say off the pitch.

What goes through your mind when you're singing the national anthem in front of 70,000 people in the Millennium Stadium?
It's very emotional. You just look up at the stands and it's pretty crazy. It's like nothing you can compare to in life, but it's what makes playing for Wales so special. For those who have experienced it, it doesn't change - whether you have 10 caps or 100, it's always the same and it motivates each and every player before every game.

What's the most valuable rugby lesson you've learned?
Just to have a laugh playing the game. You only get 10 years at the top if you're lucky, so you'd best make the most of it.

• The full version of this interview appears in the September edition of The Red Bulletin