Raise Your Game: You're a player that is renowned for putting his body on the line. Where does that aspect of your game come from?

Ian Gough: It's a part I enjoy. Some players, like Shane Williams, are built to dance around people and to score scorching tries. Others, like me, are in the mould where you've got to get your head down and graft away and do the hard work to let the likes of Shane to get the ball.

RYG: What makes a great team player?

IG: It's someone that will put themselves out for you. With Wales at the moment, we've got a lot of guys that are prepared to go that extra mile. They make you feel welcome and help you along when you're struggling. When you're down they pick you up and push you along the way.

RYG: How important is communication on the rugby field?

IG: With the roof shut and 75,000 fans screaming down at you, it's very important! The noise the fans generate is absolutely unbelievable. Scrum and line-out calls at times can be pretty hard going, so we are learning to lip-read at the moment to improve our communication.

RYG: What is the difference between a good and a great rugby player?

IG: It's someone that goes that extra yard. The likes of James Hook and Stephen Jones, just to name two, that are always out there trying to improve. When training finishes they're on the pitch practising until their feet are almost bleeding. When they can't train any more physically, they're looking at the laptops and analysing the opposition for the week ahead. They're prepared to do that extra hard work to see them through to a result at the end.

RYG: What have been the highlights for you?

IG: It's a very funny game. You get such lows and then such massive highs. The Grand Slam was a fantastic highlight for me and beating Australia in this last autumn series. Having experienced some of the sour tasting times at rugby, a year like 2008 has been amazing and makes it all worthwhile.

RYG: What advice would you give to young people looking to follow in your footsteps?

IG: Just enjoy yourselves, listen to your coaches and work as hard as you can. The harder you work the more you'll enjoy it, and the more satisfaction you'll get at the end of it.