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Alun Wyn Jones to captain Toulon in final match of his career
Wales great Alun Wyn Jones is set to captain Toulon on Saturday against ASM Clermont Auvergne in what will be the final match of his record-breaking career.
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Despite being rested last week in a 31-26 win over Racing 92, the Welshman has come back into the starting XV to partner England lock David Ribbans in the second row at the Stade Marcel Michelin, as Toulon seek to leapfrog the team one place above them in the league, in sixth place.
After announcing his international retirement in May, the former Wales, and British & Irish Lions captain spent the first few months of this season with the Top 14 outfit having signed as a medical joker in July to provide cover during the World Cup. Toulon recently confirmed that his deal will not be extended beyond this weekend, and with no new club lined up after his spell on the Cote d’Azur, this will be the last match of his career. Then again, another twist in 170-cap international’s career cannot be ruled out.
Looking ahead to his final match, Jones said this week: “I never thought I’d be here finishing my career. I’m just really grateful to Toulon, particularly the players and staff for the welcome I’ve had. I’ve only been here four months, and I apologise my French isn’t any better. I appreciate the impact other foreign players have had here. The welcome I’ve had from the fans and the city of Toulon has been very, very special. I’d just like to thank everyone and hopefully we can get the win at the weekend
The 38-year-old has already enjoyed a send-off at the Principality Stadium, captaining the Barbarians against Wales at the beginning of the month. That also served as a last hurrah for BaaBaas teammate Justin Tipuric, who retired at the same time as Jones, and Leigh Halfpenny, who retired from international rugby after that match.
⚔ ?? ????? ⚔
🫡 La der des ders pour Jones
🔥 Le retour de Domon
💥 Lolesio enchaîne@spvie vous présente les 2️⃣3️⃣ 🔴&⚫pour cette septième journée de @top14rugby face à l'@ASMOfficiel !#ParceQueToulon #ASMRCT pic.twitter.com/OdWUHrjrTq— RCT – RC Toulon (@RCTofficiel) November 17, 2023
Jones was named player of the match in a try-scoring display against his compatriots, which gave him the opportunity to address the crowd. “Firstly, I want to thank the crowd,” he said to S4C after the match. “The people who’ve been coming here for 18 years and turn out and spend their hard-earned money to come and watch Wales play through the good times and the bad times. Diolch yn fawr.
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“I think the man of the match was a bit of tokenism so I’ll accept it gracefully, but I’ve got to mention all the other players out here today and hopefully we put on a show. I think the Baa-Baas stands for what’s good in rugby. An honourable mention to Leigh Halfpenny, Justin Tipuric and Dan Biggar, who isn’t here today.”
The lock went on to describe what it was like to play against the team he represented 158 times, as well as how he planned to spend his final weeks in Toulon.
He said: “I think it’s probably hard to explain, it’s a bit surreal. I don’t know what was more strange, playing with Michael Hooper or playing against Wales. I’m just hugely grateful. It’s been a long journey, we’ve got our own stories. I’m just hugely thankful to my family, particularly my wife and my kids. They’re not going to stop growing, and neither is Welsh rugby. Hopefully we can carry on and have a new generation.”
“I’m hugely grateful that I was able to go to Toulon. It’s funny how things work out, I probably wouldn’t have been here if I hadn’t done that. Probably a few glasses of red and a lie in the sun. We’ll see how it goes. Diolch yn fawr pawb. Safe journey home.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
Maybe if you come once in your life in France you won’t writte so much nonsense 🙃
1 Go to commentsWhy did they kill 14 people at a gaelic football match? What had happened earlier that day? Dowson sounds absolutely pathetic, believing what the Irish say about his people, rather than believing what his people say about the Irish.
1 Go to commentsI haven't really experienced the Irish as arrogant but I guess the players maybe got ahead of themselves after a big win. Just thought it being Ireland and their love afair with WC QF exits and it being the ABs maybe they would have taken it a bit more seriously. Maybe they did and just lost anyways, who knows.
3 Go to commentsNot surprising, they tend to get very carried away with themselves very quickly. I’ve never seen a team so devastated at the final whistle than those irish players in that QF, you’d think they had lost the final.
3 Go to commentsJust a roundabout way of claiming to great fun. Self -praise is no praise, frenchie.
1 Go to commentsIreland have played the ABs since the first game 1905 a total of 37 times. The ABs have won 32 and Ireland 5 times. If we look since the first WC, then they have played each other 28 times. All Ireland’s 5 wins have come since 2016. So the ABs won 23 games. Since Ireland won their first game in 2016, they have won 5 and the ABs 4 times. Fairly even. Whatever anyone says, beating ABs consistently is bloody difficult, and when you manage to win a few, show respect to them. Period.
180 Go to comments‘Mom'.
1 Go to commentsA specialist in hitting smaller guys hard and late. Serial cheap shot merchant who deserves more than the usual token sanction for such actions.
1 Go to commentsI like to see the Crusaders lose as much as the next non-Crusaders fan, but the fact that most of their best players have not been available this year is being hand waved away like it shouldn’t effect them. It’s no coincidence that their first dominant performance came when they had more of their best players back. This is not rocket science. If they can stay fit their team at the business end of the season will include Tamaiti Williams, Codie Taylor, Fletcher Newell, Scott Barrett, Quentin Strange, Ethan Blackadder and Cullen Grace in the forwards - most of whom have barely, or not played this year. That is an outstanding pack that have not played together this season. McLeod, Havili, Aumua, Reece, and Halfpenny will be a very different prospect behind their first choice pack as well. Having said all that Penney’s record is scratchy at best, but given the players that have left and their injury list I’m reserving judgement. Penney’s appointment, a bit like Foz, has a similar stench of the incumbent having too much say in his replacement. They are lacking a truly high quality and experienced 10 which will make it hard for them to go the whole way IMO, but the list of teams who would want to play them in the finals will be very short.
17 Go to commentsWhere’s this people's champion come from? Irish people yes….other people? Their arrogance has become breathtaking. Not tested? Oh dear.
180 Go to commentsIf a coach having Crusaders heritage is so sacrosanct, why did the Crusaders not pursue Vern Cotter as Scott Robertson’s replacement?
17 Go to commentsFinau is definitely operating on razor thin margins. He hasn’t done anything wrong… yet. But a player going into contact 6 inches lower than he is expecting, without him even knowing, will end in disaster. You can imagine a situation where the pass dies on Edmed and he has to bend down a little lower to catch it at the last second. Finau’s hit would have been catastrophic. The margins are just too fine. He needs to study how PSDT, at 6’7”, manages to drop his tackle height and exert just as much force with close zero danger of taking someone’s head off. Given how poorly NZ has adapted to lower their tackle height, and that this issue which has plagued the ABs for years and played a big part in them not winning the World Cup, I thought NZR and all SR coaches would be prioritising sorting this issue out. If I was Razor I would be on the phone to Clayton MacMillan and Samipeni Finau saying exactly that. Finau is a monster and shaping up to be the closest thing to Kaino since Kaino, but I wouldn’t risk selecting him for the ABs at the moment.
18 Go to commentsThe surprising stat I saw in the Blues game when showing Sotutu equaling the Blues forwards record was that Akira has not scored a try since 2019. Now my memory is pretty bad when it comes to those sorts of the things, I can remember his AB try though, but anyway I can’t see I can remember his last blues touchdown or any in recent years. Surely that still has to be a bogus stat. Maybe excludes SRA games?
3 Go to commentsDude to me looks pretty fast for a big man, nearly 2m and 130kg, in his workout vid he was signed off. Possibly a bit slow on his reads movement wise though, but I’ve not got anything to compare him to. Hope the dude nails it and finds his sport, could have been a devastating lock in rugby if he wasn’t a footballer growing up.
4 Go to commentsWell, does that make it every year Moana has lost it’s best player the following year? Normally it’s more immediate I guess, at least there best player had a follow up year this time.
1 Go to commentsFinally, an answer to Dan Carter.
1 Go to commentsNever read such tripe. He was hit just as he passed the ball which was reviewed and deemed legal by yes the Australian TMO and referee
18 Go to commentsTerrible idea…will be too hot, no one will travel, fan zones will be promised nice cold guinness and last minute will get water. Also how do you squeeze this into the already busy battle rhythm, Prem, summer series, 6 nations & world cup….if, and its a big IF you’re going to do this, do it in a rugby nation.
2 Go to commentsWell let’s hope world rugby doesn't read some of this nonsense, because next on the agenda will be…“players will only tackle other players deemed to be in their weight class, and only with moderate velocity”.
18 Go to commentsI was never allowed to adjust boots, or ever replaced, while I was playing and staying on the field. If I had issues, I had to go to the sideline and fix them myself. Then I would ask the ref to get back in. That would really make you deal with it FAST!
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