It's not that Gareth Owen Llewellyn hasn't got stories to tell or milestones to register, it's just that he's not a fan of the genre. "They're so incredibly boring I don't bother to read them, " he said. It's a pity because one of things he could impart to the younger generation is how to survive in professional rugby. In many respects Llewellyn is the model pro which helps to explain why he is still earning a living at the ripe old age of 37. Not surprisingly, he is the oldest player in the Guinness Premiership.

Last weekend the Peter Pan of the Premiership scored a try in Bristol's marvellous start to the season, a demolition job on Worcester at Sixways. "Anything can happen at the start of a season and we had a sneaking feeling we could nick it, " Llewellyn said.

"To score five tries was fantastic." Today Bristol play Saracens at the Memorial Ground where the former Wales captain will again attempt to dominate affairs at the lineout.

Most players, particularly forwards, tend to retire in their early 30s. So what is Llewellyn's secret? "Apart from having an operation on my pelvis when I was young I've managed to steer clear of any serious injuries. The other thing is that wherever I've been, I've always been faced with a challenge. The game I'm playing now is totally different to when I started. In fact, it's evolved two or three times. The key is to try and stay ahead of the game.

"We had the introduction of the World Cup followed by professionalism which changed everything. The hardest part is the training. The pre-season programme can be daunting because all that endurance stuff doesn't suit the big forwards but I enjoy hard work."

Llewellyn first played for the junior club Llanharan, where he won youth caps for Wales, before joining Neath, who were described as the Welsh All Blacks, in 1988.

Within a matter of months he was playing against the New Zealand All Blacks. When Neath played the tourists at the Gnoll, Llewellyn had a fine match against Ian Jones and made such an impression that in 1989 he made his debut for Wales against New Zealand.

"The All Blacks won 34-9 and the only other thing I remember is Grant Fox kicking goals. I was thinking that he looked exactly as he did on TV. Test match rugby is that much harder and faster. It's 80 minutes on another level. At one point I was dreadfully out of breath and when I looked around everyone else was the same."

Llewellyn's international career spanned 15 years, another feat of endurance.

Like his first cap in '89, his 92nd in 2004 (he is Wales's most capped player) came against the All Blacks in Cardiff. Wales lost that one 26-25. To get to 100 he'd have needed to play in the last World Cup but he didn't make the squad. It is not only Wales who have underestimated Llewellyn's stamina.

After seven good years at Neath he enjoyed four seasons, as a full-time professional, at Harlequins before returning to Neath where he served another three years.

"They had a bunch of kids but we still won the title." When Wales concentrated on forming the regions the obvious move for Llewellyn was to join the Neath-Swansea Ospreys.

It didn't work out.

"I was on a one-year contract but I only played about five times, " Llewellyn said. "I had a disagreement with the coach Lyn Jones about the way we were playing."

Llewellyn joined Narbonne and at the beginning of last season was recruited by promoted Bristol for another tilt at the Premiership. "A lot of the boys hadn't played at that level and it was a massive challenge. The task was to stay up."

Now the task is progression but Llewellyn's been around long enough to know it won't be easy, despite the start.