My Life in Rugby: Richard Birkett – former Wasps lock

I spent most of my Wasps career hitting every ruck in sight so that Simon Shaw could stand out on the wing doing all the flashy stuff – or that’s how I like to remember it!
We had an incredible partnership in the second row at Wasps, and I think we still have the record for the most appearances together in the Premiership.
I was pretty lucky coming into Wasps at the time I did to join people like Simon, Lawrence Dallaglio and Joe Worsley. We had a pretty incredible few years.
Between the age of 21 when I won my first trophy at Wasps until I was 29, we won something every year, so that made the last few seasons pretty tough.
The first Premiership title was special, but the most incredible year was in 2004 when we won the Heineken and the Premiership.
The Heineken final was just unbelievable against Toulouse, having beaten Munster in Dublin. We spent the whole game tackling. I was dead on my feet and just thinking how on earth am I going to be able to play another 20 minutes of extra-time?
There was no question of going off but the relief when Rob Howley scored that winning try was pretty incredible. I’m still not sure if I was happier we had won or that we didn’t have to play for another 20 minutes.
I arrived at Wasps when Nigel Melville was in charge, and he was the one who had got me involved from Millfield where I had been for a year.
With the quality of guys already at the club you couldn’t help but step up. They brought you up to their level and I think that’s why we had such success.
If it came down to the last ten minutes of a game and you were in touch, you kind of knew you’d win it.
Winning became a habit, and unfortunately that’s what changed when we were fighting relegation – we got in a rut and just couldn’t get out of it.
Before then we’d won a few more titles, and I remember Lawrence getting his perfect finale in the 2008 Premiership final.
 
He was always very emotional before games anyway but he was pretty much in bits before that game against Leicester.
But it was the sort of emotion where you knew he’d play brilliantly.
I do think about what might have been in terms of international recognition. I went on one Saxons tour back in 2005, but I was probably seen as a little too small but I still think that if I had got the chance I wouldn’t have let anyone down.
Obviously the last few years were a lot more difficult and it did feel strange desperately trying to keep the team up. Last year was the toughest of my professional career, with the injuries we had and a threadbare squad as well as everything going on behind the scenes.
We had a couple of really important wins against London Irish and Gloucester which just about saved us. Even though no one knew whether anyone would get relegated, as it turned out it was lucky we edged out Newcastle.
Last year I gave so much because there was no option, and that’s probably why my body gave up.  We all had to play injured, and wanted to. The future looks much brighter at Wasps now so it’s really disappointing to have had to retire.
Now I’m looking to go into coaching, I’m already involved with Imperial College but I’m taking a bit of time to see exactly what I want to go into next.