'The Nugget' is worth his weight in gold to Wales.

And Martyn Williams can expect to be handled with care - all the way through until Wales' 2011 World Cup campaign has ended.

Williams will be 36 then, but if he needed any inspiration to keep going then it comes in the substantial form of Kenya-born England lock Simon Shaw.

Williams and Shaw share the same birthday - September 1 - and while Wasps giant Shaw might be two years older, he showed during this summer's British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa that age should not present an imposing barrier.

The pair were inspired team-mates when Ian McGeechan's Lions memorably mauled the world champion Springboks in Johannesburg just under four months ago.

And as Williams prepares for yet another international season - his Wales career began 13 years and 88 caps ago - by tackling New Zealand next week, there is no sign of him slowing up.

''You just keep going,'' said the 34-year-old Cardiff Blues flanker. ''I am looked after really well, at the Blues and with Wales.

''When you have a brief taste of retirement, as I did (for one post-World Cup Test in 2007), you realise how much you miss it when you don't have it any more.

''The next World Cup is getting closer and closer.

''And while the game is definitely getting more physical, look at Simon Shaw on the Lions tour this year.

''Shawsy was superb during that trip, so it can still be done.

''My recent shoulder operation was the first major surgery I've had, so I have been fortunate in that sense, and it always helps when the sides you are playing in are going well.

''People want you to stick around then, but if you start losing people start talking about bringing some fresh blood in!''

The flame-haired Williams had been advised to expect a 16-week recovery time from what he termed ''wear and tear'' shoulder surgery on his return from South Africa.

But last Saturday, three weeks ahead of schedule, he was back doing what he does best, playing a pivotal role as the Blues grounded Magners League rivals the Ospreys.

Cue Wales coach Warren Gatland.

''It takes a special player to be able to come back like that, to have a week's training and then produce the sort of performance he did,'' said Gatland.

''He got on the ball well, there were a few steals and turnovers, and he created a try for Gareth Cooper. Martyn is obviously an exceptional talent.

''We need to look after him over the next couple of years - he is a very important player to us.''

Williams, who is just 12 Tests short of equalling Gareth Thomas' 100-cap Wales appearance record, openly acknowledges rugby union's changing shape, certainly since he made his debut as a 21-year-old against the Barbarians in 1996.

And he supports Shaw's recent comments expressing concern at a proliferation of so-called 'gym monkeys'.

''Players are certainly getting a lot more powerful, bigger and stronger,'' added Williams.

''And I agree with what Simon said the other day about bodies being put through it in the gym every day, not just during the games.

''There are a lot of wear and tear-type injuries, and I think it is something that needs to be addressed.

''I do two or three sessions per week in the gym. It is how you are managed and not about getting over-obsessed with how you look.

''I am a little bit old school. When I started, you could tell the difference physically between the youth side and the senior side.

''Now, academy players are coming through and the shape and size on them is unbelievable. They are way more developed than we were.''

Physically, Williams is no rugby colossus - he stands 6ft 1in and weighs under 16 stone - but his Test performances season after season have long since guaranteed him a place among Welsh rugby's all-time greats.

And it is why, despite his relative lack of match action since the Lions tour, Williams will be a pivotal cog in Wales' bid for a first victory over New Zealand since 1953.

Typically, he treats the All Blacks challenge with a mixture of caution and excitement.

''Everyone seems to be writing New Zealand off,'' he said.

''South Africa are in front of everyone at the moment, but the last game New Zealand played they scored 30 points against Australia, so they are far from being a poor side.

''They are always very difficult to beat, and with Dan Carter in the swing of things, they are a totally different side. We are not in awe of them, but we are definitely not underestimating them.

''We are a mature group now - a lot of us have been together for a long time in the (Wales) squad.

''I think if you go back maybe four or five years, we were a little bit in awe of these sides and thought we had no chance against them.

''Now, we genuinely go out and think we've got a chance of beating the top teams.''