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'Sean Holley announced the boys who made it and also announced the boys who hadn't which was a bit weird and awkward'
Ex-Wales tighthead Adam Jones has recalled the contrasting moments when he learned he had been selected to tour with the Lions in 2009 and 2013. The current Harlequins assistant coach is hopeful his club will hear some good news this Thursday when Warren Gatland announces his 2021 Lions squad to tour South Africa.
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Twelve years ago, when the Lions last toured the home of the Springboks, Jones was chosen by Ian McGeechan but he didn’t immediately hear the good news as he was training when the live announcement took place and he recalls things then got awkward when he eventually learned he had been selected.
“In ’09 we were training in the Vale with the Ospreys in the indoor arena,” said Jones, reflecting back on his first Lions tour call-up. “Training was cut-off about halfway through and Sean Holley announced the boys who made it and also announced the boys who hadn’t made it which was a bit weird and a bit awkward.
“So Ryan Jones didn’t make the squad, Hooky [James Hook] didn’t make the squad, Gav (Henson) didn’t make it. It was amazing to get the nod but it also was awkward when you are in a huddle in the middle of a training session and three boys who expected to go, I thought they might go, didn’t go.
“But the next one (in 2013) was just on Sky in the morning. I was pleased to go myself to Australia but to have two good mates like Hibs [Richard Hibbard] and Ian Evans to go as well, who I played a lot of rugby… just the elation to have two good mates go on tour with you and both were actually really good tourists.”
"We were training in the gym and someone came up and said, 'Unlucky mate'"
– @heagneyl hears how James Haskell coped with his Lions rejection four years ago before receiving a Gatland bolt from the blue #Lions 🦁 https://t.co/wm2Qej6GdI
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 5, 2021
Getting selected was only the start for Jones, though, not the end as he set about working his way into Lions team selection, going on to make five Test appearances across the two series he was involved in. “If you grow up certainly where I’m from you are made aware of the Welsh teams of the 70s and made aware of Lions early doors.
“Then you get the Living with the Lions video which was massive for understanding the passion and what it means to players and coaches, your McGeechans, Telfers, these guys who drove it so well. We used to recite the speeches from that video.
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“For me it’s the biggest thing for a British and Irish rugby player. There are World Cups with your country and I’m sure the English guys will have thoughts on that, but for me you get picked for the Lions and it’s the biggest thing you can do but then you want to play Test matches and then you want to win series. That for me was the biggest driver.
“I didn’t want to go on tour and just be a bit-part player, I wanted to go on tour and play in the Tests but also impact the Tests. That was my big driving force. As soon as you get that jersey as a rugby player it’s the best feeling. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
With Harlequins’ players on a day off on Thursday, they won’t be together as a squad to hear the 2021 Lions announced. They didn’t have players starring in the recent Guinness Six Nations with England but the club form of the likes of Danny Care, Marcus Smith and Joe Marler has them in the selection conversation ahead of Gatland’s big reveal.
Jones can’t wait to learn what unfolds. “The boys have been brilliant,” he said about the rich vein of form that has Harlequins challenging for a Gallagher Premiership playoff place and in Gatland’s thoughts. “The senior boys like Danny, Joe, Mike Brown, these guys have been excellent. They have bought into the plans we put forward to them.
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“We kick more than anyone but it is the quality of kicks that someone like Danny Care is putting in. He is playing so well, that is what is getting him into the mix with the Lions talk. Marcus Smith’s kicking. We don’t just run it up our arse from our own line, we play in the right areas, we kick well, chase well and the boys are playing for each other now which is fantastic to see.
“The London Irish game was testament to that. If we get a player, if we get a couple of players in (the Lions), it’s nothing more than those guys deserve because the last ten weeks have been a total shift really.”
This will be special‼️ 🦁 https://t.co/pofXFObBej
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 4, 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
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