The younger of two boys born to English docker John Lydiate at Hope Hospital, their Welsh mother Lynne raised them in Salford, Greater Manchester.

[3] He was an ever-present member of the Wales Under 20 back row along with Lewis Evans and James Harris for their Six Nations campaign in 2006/7 and progressed to the Dragons senior side at the end of that season.

[7] Following the withdrawal of captain Ryan Jones from the Wales squad to face Australia in the final Autumn International, Lydiate made his first test match start at flanker on 28 November 2009.

He then broke into the Welsh first XV in the autumn internationals of that year, starting against Australia, New Zealand and Fiji as well as being named in the team to face South Africa before withdrawing with a calf injury.

It paid off, and he played a key role in Wales' quarter-final win over Ireland and then subsequent losses to France and Australia.