Huw Jones on the career-changing decision that helped make him a Lion

Scotland centre Huw Jones admitted his return to Glasgow has proved more fruitful than he could ever have imagined after he capped his remarkable resurgence with a first call-up for the British and Irish Lions

After a season at Harlequins did not go to plan, and having slipped out of favour at international level, the 30-year-old felt like he was heading back to Scotstoun with his tail between his legs in the summer of 2022.

But Jones has got himself back on track in the most emphatic fashion possible, re-establishing himself as a Scotland starter since the 2023 Six Nations, winning the URC title with Glasgow last term and now endorsing his status as one of the top centres in world rugby by being selected for the Lions tour of Australia.

The 58-cap back described hearing his name called out during Thursday’s squad announcement as “an incredible feeling of joy and relief”.

“I feel as though sometimes things happen for a reason and maybe coming back here at the time felt a bit of not a loss… but I’d just left and I was coming back, and I thought maybe I was coming back with my tail between my legs,” Jones explained. “But I’ve sort of managed to turn it around.

“A lot of that comes down to the work that Franco Smith has put in with the boys here and my teammates, and the way that we’ve played rugby over the last couple of seasons.

“I think the success of the squad has propelled guys forward in their career and I’ve been lucky enough to be one of those guys.

“I got back into the Scotland squad, I’ve played a few games there, and it’s just been an amazing couple of seasons to be part of that growth at Glasgow and for me personally in my career, so this is kind of the pinnacle of that. It kind of makes me realise that all that hard work was worth it.”

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Jones believes his first Lions call has come at the perfect time in his career.

“I’ve said a couple of times over the last year or two that I feel like I’m playing the best rugby of my career, and I feel like I’m getting better as well,” he added. “I feel I’m constantly learning and adapting to new things in the game and trying to add new skills to my game as well.

“I feel like a lot of this selection, because it’s every four years, is down to timing and whether you’re on form at the right time so I’m happy that over the last year or so I’ve been playing well enough to be selected.”

Jones – like most of the eight Scots called up by Andy Farrell – has been troubled by injury in the lead-up to Lions selection. The centre, who will return to action as a starter against Benetton on Saturday, admitted the fact he has not played since Scotland’s Six Nations defeat by France in mid-March caused him some extra anguish.

“Oh yeah, for sure,” he said. “I think it would be foolish to think that it may not have affected things and I was worried. But thanks to the medical team here, they’ve got it turned around pretty quickly and I’m feeling good again.

“I’m just thankful for that and that I’ve got time to play rugby this season.”