The Wales wing talks racing, rom-coms and Rosie with Sarah Mockford

RUGBY WORLD: What are the happiest and saddest moments of your life to date?

ALEX CUTHBERT: The happiest was the night out after the Grand Slam – it was a great night in Cardiff. The saddest is probably when my nan passed away – it was just after I’d been called up for Wales Sevens.

RW: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learnt in life?

AC: Don’t underestimate anything; never take anything for granted.

RW: Do you have any nicknames?

AC: Horse. And Marv, from Home Alone. I used to have long hair.

RW: What would you like to achieve outside of rugby?

AC: I’d like to be a professional gambler – on the horses or a poker player. I follow racing quite a lot and might go to Cheltenham or Ascot. It’s a good day out with the boys.

RW: How would you like to be remembered?

AC: Not as a showjumper! For having a good scoring record – a good playing-scoring ratio like Shane Williams would be good.

RW: What’s the funniest thing you’ve seen on the pitch?

AC: The funniest thing was when I was back at college. One of the boys had his shorts pulled down but he still kept running with the ball because he was close to the line. His arse was on show and he was trying to run, but he struggled. In one game I played for the Blues, someone shouted ‘Run, Horse, Run’. That was quite funny – and I did score!

RW: Who are the jokers in the squad?

AC: With Wales it’s Liam Williams. He’s a hell of a character. He gives everyone gyp and is good to have around the camp. At the Blues, Dan Fish targets everyone, even the older boys.

RW: Any practical jokes you can share?

AC: On one of the sevens trips to New Zealand, one of the boys met a girl, got a number and started texting her. However, it was actually one of the other boy’s numbers – the girl was in on it – and when he arranged to meet up with her we were all there waiting for him!

RW: Who’d you like to be stuck in a lift with?

AC: Model/actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

RW: Do you think you could take on her other half, Jason Statham?

AC: I don’t know, he’s quite hard!

RW: Do you have any bugbears?

AC: People lying. When a guy was talking to my mate in a bar he said that he was best mates with Alex Cuthbert. I didn’t even know the guy and my mate was cracking up inside. When he told me we had a right laugh.

RW: What’s the silliest thing you’ve bought?

AC: A pair of £40 boxers. They were Alexander McQueen and I’ve only worn them once. I then washed them with a red shirt and they went pink!

RW: Who would be your three dream dinner-party guests?

AC: Smithy – James Corden, because he’d be funny. Then Fearne Cotton and Keith Lemon – we could both take the piss out of Fearne!

RW: Who’d play you in a film of your life?

AC: Who’s the guy from Dear John? Channing Tatum. He’s a good-looking guy. Scrap that, Ashton Kutcher – he’s a cool guy.

RW: Just to clarify, you’ve seen Dear John?

AC: Yes, there’s nothing wrong with it – it’s quite good. I watched it with a woman.

RW: What’s your guilty pleasure?

AC: Rom-coms! That’s probably more of a date thing – a third or fourth date. A first date would be a meal or a drink.

RW: Where would you take someone for dinner – Nando’s?!

AC: I’d never take a woman to Nando’s!

RW: What’s your favourite expression?

AC: Ain’t nothin’ but a peanut – Ronnie Coleman (bodybuilder).

RW: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

AC: To live forever.

This article appeared in the September 2012 issue of Rugby World Magazine.

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