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'It was f***ing horrendous': What Adam Jones felt when France struck at the death but he now predicts a Lions tour silver lining for Wales
Former Test tighthead Adam Jones had described his horror at seeing Wales denied a Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam at the death last Saturday night in Paris, but he believes the silver lining will be a dominant Welsh representation when Warren Gatland picks his 2021 Lions squad.
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A veteran of three Grand Slam triumphs – 2005, 2008 and 2012 – Jones could understand the anguish his fellow countrymen felt when the result dramatically swung against them at the Stade de France, Brice Dulin going over in added time to snatch the Slam from Wales.
Now an assistant coach at Harlequins, Jones’ Saturday had gotten off to an excellent start as his Gallagher Premiership side put Gloucester to the sword with a swashbuckling attacking performance. However, the day ended in crushing disappointment as he watched the wretched end-game unfold from Paris.
“It was f***ing horrendous. Tough. Really felt for the boys. I felt until the last few minutes we didn’t look like losing and when Paul Willemse got sent off, I thought that was the end of it then. I was gobsmacked for about ten minutes afterwards.
“There are a few of the coaches I am very close with. Jonathan Humphreys, Gethin (Jenkins), Stephen (Jones) and the amount of s*** they were having in the autumn, how crap Wales were. I’m thinking well, we’re not that crap.
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“We got to the World Cup semi-final with the team a year or so ago. We won the Grand Slam a year or so ago so, but it’s quick to bag the boys now but they have been unbelievable. I know you boys will say it was a red card that cost Ireland and the Scottish will say there was the red card but you have still got to win the games. You have got to deal with whatever is thrown at you. It just took us that bit of confidence and then we beat England.
“They will be gutted (with Paris). I’m close to Alun Wyn (Jones) and I felt so bad for him. You have a close mate who was at the forefront and that happened, it was tough to watch in the end.”
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With the Lions confirming on Tuesday that their tour will definitely go ahead this July in South Africa, Jones, who won five Test caps with the famed tourists along with 95 for Wales, reckons most of Wayne Pivac’s Six Nations starting team can now expect call-ups from Warren Gatland.
“Lineout was excellent, attacking really looks brilliant, there is a bit of depth there now as well,” said Jones, sizing up the key Welsh improvements in recent months that will now put them in the shop window for Lions selection.
“I will say the older fellas really stepped up. You’re talking Ken Owens, obviously Alun Wyn, but Tips (Justin Tipuric) and Toby (Faletau), they took these games by the scruff of the neck, and Dan Biggar had been brilliant.
“There was a bit more rugby played than under Gats (Gatland), but it was still (about) never giving up and we’d keep fighting and fighting and fighting and we were always competitive. It looked like the current team was like the Wales team of the last 15 years, certainly in the Gatland era, probably with a little more of Stephen Jones thrown in for effect.
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“It’s great for us, Lions year. If a player says he doesn’t think of the Lions then he is lying. Every player in the championship outside of France and the Italians is thinking about the Lions and we could take a lot.
“Definitely Wyn Jones will be in the mix, Ken, Alun Wyn, (Adam) Beard will be in the mix, the whole back row will be in the mix. You could look at any Wales scrum-half, they are the best scrum-halves around. Tomos Williams, Gareth Davies, obviously Webby (Rhys Webb) is out now, but Biggar had got to be in with a chance.
“George North has been a revelation, (Louis Rees-) Zammit has been unreal, Josh Adams, Liam Williams, there is a lot of players they could take now. In the autumn you’d think it would be majority English but that has been flipped totally on its head now. Alun Wyn as captain? Of course, yeah.”
LIONS SQUAD: After a seismic Guinness Six Nations, Josh Raisey ??? tries to predict the full, 41-man squad that @lionsofficial kingpin Warren Gatland is likely to name this May. https://t.co/6Ob8ZjXkIW
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 22, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to comments