Lydiate took part in full training on Thursday having headed back to Paris to see fiancée Nia bring little Lucy into the world on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old will start Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations opener against Italy as he goes in search of a double celebration and he insists that the way his short absence has been handled, and the positivity that has surrounded his return, is another reminder of just how close this current crop of Wales staff and players really are.
“It’s awesome to come back and get the chance to be involved in this environment. With all the coaches and players, Warren (Gatland) has always said that family comes first and when I told him about the situation he was more than happy for me to go over and be with Nia for the birth,” said Lydiate.
“I can’t thank him enough and it makes you appreciate the environment we’ve got here and how close everyone is. Everyone is shaking your hand and it’s almost like a second family.
“It’s not just Warren, either, it’s the other coaches he’s got around him. We’re a very close squad with the coaches and the management. Everyone in this environment knows that everyone else is driving towards the same aims.
“When we go back to our clubs, they’re hard at work doing their research – they don’t just put their feet up for six weeks and wait for the next campaign. We all work hard when we’re in camp and they obviously work very hard when we’re out of campaign time as well.
“It seems like for the last couple of years we’ve all been growing up together. It’s like a family environment where there’s lots of banter. Everyone has congratulated me, there’s been a few hugs, but when you get into training you have to switch on.
“You can’t be serious all the time – you need characters who can break things up – but when we take the field in training, we’re going to work then. In between sessions you’re talking about it but when you’re doing your analysis and when training is taking place, you’re fully focused on the weekend and we’re really looking forward to that challenge.”
Lydiate reckons he is more prepared to meet that challenge now than he perhaps was in November when he started the first Dove Men Series Test with South Africa on the back of his move to the Top 14 with Racing Metro.
The former Dragons star says it took time for him to settle into life in the Top 14, with Racing’s early selection policy leaving him a little shy on game time. All that has changed now, though, and Lydiate is hitting his straps at just the right time as far as the national cause is concerned.
“The first three months leading up to the autumn internationals were tough as I didn’t play a lot of rugby in France. Every player knows you need game time,” added Lydiate.
“Since the autumn I’ve had more game time for Racing – you just need to play and you pick up form that way. Hopefully I’m heading in the right direction now.
“We’re playing left and right at Racing (rather than openside and blindside) and that’s another learning curve. I’m used to playing blindside so you do look at the game slightly differently. It makes you think about your running lines and hopefully that will progress my game and I’ll be able get on the inside shoulder of guys like Jamie (Roberts) breaking through. That’s the plan.
“I want to become a better ball carrier and that’s one of my main focusses. It’s about taking baby steps – the game moves so fast every season that you can’t stand still and become a one-dimensional player.”
Lydiate starred for Racing in a shock win over Toulouse at the Stade de France last weekend, a game which he believes offered impressive preparation for tomorrow’s test against an Italian outfit known for their relentless physicality.
“It was awesome, it was like a mini international. That’s one of the things that attracted me to go there in the first place, playing in places like the Stade de France in a club match against a side like Toulouse. And with needing game time, that match was vital for me.
“It was a really physical match. Toulouse have an enormous pack and they were bringing subs on who were even bigger than the starting eight! My opposite number was Joe Tekori and he’s a giant of a man – they don’t get much bigger. Hopefully that will bode well for playing against packs like the Italians.”
