Squeaky-clean Sam Warburton won't let Wales fall off the wagon

"We prioritise it so the players know what they're allowed to do and then there's no trouble. The last thing you want is a squad which has been disrupted by leaked stories or incidents you don't want.

"That has happened to us in previous Six Nations and it can affect you.

"We're hoping for another campaign where we're squeaky clean and can focus on rugby. As for me, I didn't even have a Buck's Fizz over Christmas! I'm not an alcohol fan so it was a pretty easy decision for me. If it tasted nice I might have to think twice about it.

"The most important thing is not to have alcohol because it increases your recovery and I think the players have been educated quite well when it comes to things like that.

"Most of the squad have made the same decision. We realise the benefits [of not drinking] and the potential risks of alcohol, which is why a lot of us stay away from it."

And Warburton's stance is wise when you consider how life has changed for him in the past 12 months. No longer a face in the crowd, instead the local boy is feted everywhere he goes.

Yet the player himself admits to being terrified about the reception he would get in Cardiff after his sending-off. He need not have worried, though.
He added: "My first thought was, 'Have I let the fans down, the players down, the management, everyone involved in Welsh rugby?' There were some horrible thoughts going through my mind.

"But I was reassured pretty quickly by the players and the management that it wasn't my fault.

Actually, it's been overwhelming with the support I've had - people writing letters to me, some of which are five pages long and are just praising me and the squad.

"I try to reply to them, especially the younger ones, as I know it would have meant the world to me to get a reply when I was young.

"Is there too much of a distance between the players and public? Well, a lot of players in Wales maybe haven't been as fortunate as those in England.

"They come from tough backgrounds and they still go back to their local rugby club and play darts and pool on a Friday night. People can sometimes forget where they come from but we try to be very level-headed.

"I've been getting more attention over the last couple of years but it's very supportive - although it's very difficult to find a place in Cardiff to go to eat nowadays where I don't get recognised."

And, as Warburton is well aware, his profile is only going to increase if Warren Gatland's side win the Six Nations. He is careful not to lob any verbal grenades but Wales - who kick off their challenge against Ireland in Dublin on Sunday - must be the team to beat in this year of change.

"People didn't expect us to do that well in the World Cup but this time round the expectation is there," he says. "A couple of the players say Wales perform better under pressure anyway.

"In a way with England there is less pressure on them because people don't expect them to perform. But take away all the rubbish that people have perceived over the last six months and they've got a great squad.

"But we had a great chance to make the World Cup Final and didn't, so we want to get a Six Nations under our belt."