Leigh Halfpenny has admitted his delight at being nominated for Sport’s Personality of the Year but the Wales full-back insists his focus remains on beating Australia on Saturday.
The 24-year-old has had a stellar year that has seen him form an integral part of the Wales team that won the 2013 RBS 6 Nations before he was then named player of the series as the British & Irish Lions emerged victorious in Australia this summer.
Halfpenny has been named on a ten-strong shortlist for the BBC award that includes Olympic legends like Sir Ben Ainslie and Mo Farah.
But with the autumn internationals not yet complete for Warren Gatland’s men, the Cardiff Blues star is not taking too carried away with his nomination just yet.
“Obviously I’m absolutely delighted,” said the Blues full-back,
“It’s just a huge honour and a privilege to be nominated alongside the other names that have been.
“The people that have been short-listed have had a fantastic year.
“For the team, it’s huge we finish the year with a win against Australia.
“We’ve been close many a time, losing by one or two points and it’s been hugely frustrating.
“We’ve been devastated. The second and third Tests down there last year we came off the pitch feeling we should have won with the rugby we played and we just haven’t quite managed to see the game out and lost by a point or two.
“That was hugely gutting and obviously this time last year at home we lost in the last play in the dying seconds and we were massively gutted again. For us now, it’s about going out and winning.”
