Nigel Owens pays tribute to Wales international who has retired with immediate effect

Capped 11 times by Wales at senior level, the 36-year-old back row specialist has hung up his boots after making 334 top-level appearances for both Cardiff and the Scarlets over an incredible 16 years.

He joined the capital city region from Scarlets in 2014 and quickly established himself as an integral member of the first-team squad. He played a key role as Cardiff lifted the 2018 European Challenge Cup, picked up the Peter Thomas Player of the Season award in 2021-22, and made his 200th appearance for the club last month.

“It’s been a difficult decision to call time on my career, which has gone in the blink of an eye, but I am comfortable it is the right one for myself and my family,” said Turnbull.

“Reaching 200 appearances for Cardiff has been a huge motivator for me, and I was honoured to do that a few weeks ago at the Arms Park with so many friends and family in attendance.

“Rugby has given me so much – I have traveled the world, made incredible friends, and have so many great memories from my time both at Cardiff and the Scarlets.

“I’m enormously grateful to everyone who has played a part in my journey, whether teachers, coaches, backroom staff, supporters, and of course my family.

“With close to 350 games of professional experience under my belt, I am now looking forward to the next chapter in my career, and I’m very grateful to Cardiff for giving me an opportunity to continue coaching within the academy set-up.

“There is so much talent coming through in this region; you only need to look at the lads who have come through this year to see that, and I’m excited to pass on my experience.”

Picking his dream team, the number 10 has named back-rower Richard Hill as the best player he played with during his career. 

1. Jason Leonard (England): He was seen by Wilkinson as “someone who inspired and brought energy to the game” with impact.

2. Keith Wood (Ireland): “You need someone here in this position who can bring you the set piece control but at the same time I think they need to be aggressive, be someone that runs hard, someone that doesn’t stop, never gives up.”

3. Craig Dowd (New Zealand): “As with all tight heads what you want is someone who doesn’t take no for an answer, someone who is maybe a little quieter but someone you just don’t mess with”

4. Bakkies Botha (South Africa): "Someone incredibly fierce but very very down to earth” and “at times he’s exactly what a team needs.”

5. Martin Johnson (England): “intelligent, another massive leader, gets himself around the park. My captain"

6. Richard Hill (England): “A guy that stood the test of time and has remained at the best, the highest level of the game for that time. The best.most consistent player I played with.”

7. Richie McCaw (New Zealand): “A guy that stood the test of time and has remained at the best, the highest level of the game for that time.”

8. Pat Lam (Samoa): “He was one of the most creative, instinctive players as well as bringing his own brand of leadership and the way he saw the game.”

9. Gary Armstrong (Scotland): “The sheer aggression and resilience of the guy, his sheer character meant that anything, any ball that wasn’t good enough to go out to the number ten was never going to go out to the number ten. He would deal with everything himself and that meant control of the game”

10. Lynagh, Carter, Larkham, Stransky, Fox: “This is the key position for any World Cup winning team. You need guys that are going to lead and continue to do so right to the final seconds when it gets very, very tough. I can't just pick one."

12. Tim Horan (Australia): “A guy that knew how to win, knew how to play the game. His body language suggested he didn’t really know how to fail or what mistakes were, what under performance was.”

13. Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland): “The ability to change the game in a second, a heartbeat, with his movement, with his skill, his game reading but also his leadership.”

11. Jonah Lomu (New Zealand): “The guy is quite a remarkable rugby legend and deserves to be so. No Rugby World cup team would be complete without him.”

14. Jason Robinson (England): “His flair, his game reading, his sheer explosivity to really change a game is something that sticks in my memory. We wouldn't have won the World Cup without him,”

15. Serge Blanco (France): "He typified French rugby at its best with his audacity, ambition and flair. He was most famous for his scintillating counter-attacks, frequently running the ball out of seemingly impossible situations."