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26-minute run completes AW Jones' miracle 21-day Lions comeback
Alun Wyn Jones completed his miracle return to rugby, playing 26 minutes of the Lions’ 49-3 win over the Stormers in Cape Town just three weeks after a shoulder dislocation sustained versus Japan in Edinburgh was supposed to have ruled the 2021 skipper out of the entire tour to South Africa.
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The most capped Test player of all-time played just seven minutes of the June 26 match at Murrayfield and he was ruled out of the trip to the home of the 2019 World Cup champions within an hour of the full-time whistle in Scotland.
While Jones was replaced in the squad by Adam Beard and as tour captain by Conor Murray, a scan soon diagnosed that the damage wasn’t as bad as initially feared for the soon-to-be 36-year-old veteran lock.
He went training with Wales last week and following a full contact training session on Tuesday, Jones was recalled by the Lions the next day and he arrived in Cape Town on Thursday to the news that he would be taking a place on the bench for this Saturday’s game with the Stormers, the final preparation match before next Saturday’s first Test versus the Springboks.
Gatland said in a pre-game TV interview that it was important for Jones to get around a 20-minute hit-out versus the Stormers to prove his fitness heading into the Test week preparations. “It’s important for him,” said the Lions boss to Sky Sports.
TACKLEGATE:
Gatland has responded to the blunt social media Erasmus attack on Farrell #LionsSA2021 #LionsRugbyhttps://t.co/37hzhDCjOd
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 17, 2021
“He is an incredibly competitive person and he has made a miraculous recovery coming out here, so we want to give him a reasonable amount of game time in the second half and hopefully he is up to speed and then he puts himself into contention next week to start or come in off the bench. We will have a look at that, see how he goes and see if he needs another week of training – so we haven’t made up our mind.”
Jones eventually came into the action on 54 minutes wearing the No19 shirt against the Stormers, replacing the impressive try-scoring Beard and getting immediately stuck in at a scrum where the Lions, who were leading at the time by 28-3, were punished for a collapse by referee Wayne Barnes.
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He was then quickly involved in a number of ruck entries and tackles which tested the durability of his left shoulder and he even threatened to score with a 68th-minute carry to the line in a move that was eventually finished off by Zander Fagerson.
By the time the full-time whistle went, the match statistics section on the Lions website was showing that Jones made four metres from five carries, put in seven tackles, made two passes and gave three offloads – the sort of all-action contribution that is primed to now see him lead the Lions out as skipper next weekend against the Springboks.
Ex-Lions boss Ian McGeechan and ex-skipper Sam Warburton don’t think Jones will start, however. “He has played. He had proved he is fit. Is he at Test match level for physicality and game involvement? That for me is still a question mark,” pondered McGeechan on TV.
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Warburton added: “I agree and it’s not a bad thing if he just goes on the bench for the first Test, you go Maro (Itoje) and (Courtney) Lawes and then he is back for the decisive second and third and then he is fully raring to go. I was impressed today when he came off the bench, he was getting involved but with his organisational skills and how vocal he was, you could see him take control as soon as he came on. That is so important to have that leadership at the end of the game.
“That is not putting him down. It’s let’s be safe than sorry and play the long game, go on the bench and have another 30 minutes in the first Test and then you will be absolutely raring to go in the second and third, the decisive Tests, when they will need him.”
Ronan O’Gara, another ex-Lions talisman, disagreed with McGeechan and Warburton. “It’s so tricky. I can’t decide in my head in terms of how he has defied a medical decision in terms of how he has got back but here he is. Presence in sport on the pitch is absolutely huge and for me, he is starting, he is captain next week.”
The ex-Springboks winger has put his spin on shock South Africa A loss and the sight of Rassie Erasmus pitching up for the second time as his team's overqualified water boy #LionsSA2021 #LionsRugbyhttps://t.co/d9K6FDlUOT
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 17, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments