It’s about improving too. “It comes through in the way he plays, that ‘I will never be beaten’ sort of thing. He’s not afraid to speak his mind and has been fiercely critical of us (the Ospreys management) in the past. Durable is the word Mark Jones uses to describe him and it fits well. “A lot of that drive comes from his background, from his father,” says Blyth. I was pretty young, 24, but he didn’t push how he wanted the team to attack, it was almost ‘That’s your domain, I trust you to do it’.”, Alun Wyn Jones has extended his Ospreys contract by another year (Getty Images), That’s the leadership angle, but what of the longevity? It was much the same when he was one of the youngest. He’s caring and empathetic. Alun Wyn Jones has been named as captain of the British & Irish Lions for the tour of South Africa. He embraces the team-first philosophy and brushes off individual honours. Alun Wyn took criticism of his performances personally during the autumn, according to his big mate and former Wales and Ospreys colleague Adam Jones Liam Del Carme Sports reporter. Alun Wyn Jones his Wales debut as a flanker against Argentina in Puerto Madryn in 2006 and his Six Nations debut against Ireland in 2007. “He doesn’t do the flash stuff – he’s not making big breaks or busting 100 tackles, the highlight showreel stuff – but he’s a grafter. Tim was a great guy and very forthright; he would never give up on a cause. He’s been doing that at the top level for more than 15 years, in 157 Tests, the vast majority of which he’s played for the full 80 minutes. The game's most capped player with 157 Test appearances was the … He’s about high work-rate and high energy, and the way he performs is infectious for his team-mates. Game over. Hore believes a career that has spanned three decades has provided Jones with the know-how to excel in the captaincy role, saying: “Leadership is an artform you have to learn; you have to learn about working with different personality types and only experience gives you that. “Every time, every minute – I wish there were more like him.”. Those characteristics have been evident throughout his career. What is clear, though, is that such feats of endurance do not happen by chance. Alun Wyn Jones is a Welsh international rugby union player, currently playing for the Ospreys in the Pro 12. Rugby Union Owen Farrell of England and Alun Wyn Jones of Wales during the 2020 Guinness Six Nations launch (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency) Get the … He’s still amongst the first in the line chasing kicks, he’s still hitting rucks, he’s still making important tackles and winning restarts; he’s set himself those markers and continues to hit them. Watch every match from South Africa exclusively live on Sky Sports this summer. Returning to the serious business of AWJ’s approach, when Toby Booth took over as Ospreys head coach last year, he wondered if Jones was simply trying to make an impression on his new boss given his performances in that first week of training. Remember, his career is not just made up of 157 Tests and 200-plus Ospreys appearances, it’s the thousands of training sessions during the past 16 seasons at pro level – and when you’re in the front five those training sessions are tough, with endless scrums, lineouts, mauls…. Tune in to our live blog for full coverage. All those things add to his character.”. “He’s a barometer for Wales’ success,” says former Australia lock James Horwill, who started five Tests against Jones. Booth highlights the respect Jones commands amongst team-mates and Blyth talks of his development as a leader, how the likes of Adam Beard will have become better players from working with him every day. ALUN WYN JONES is looking to bring the Six Nations back to Wales this year. He’ll drive himself just as hard on the next path – the poor b*****d in the office with him!”. “In 2018, when I played Scotland and England, I almost felt like he let me, not do what I want but put my stamp on things for those couple of weeks. Captaining the Lions on their tour to South Africa is next on the horizon, RWC 2023 may be another target. Pick your starting Lions XV as Alun Wyn Jones leads the captaincy race, Johnny Sexton shines at 10 and Louis Rees-Zammit lays claim on a starting spot. Alun Wyn Jones believes the number of captaincy candidates for this summer’s British and Irish Lions’ tour to South Africa reached “probably double figures”. I asked Mike Catt for a definition of a world-class player once and he said it’s a player who never makes mistakes. Brad Thorn won a World Cup with New Zealand aged 36 in 2011, Simon Shaw was turning out for Toulon in their 2013 European Cup-winning season at 39, Richie McCaw was just a couple of months shy of his 35th birthday when he lifted the Webb Ellis Cup for a second time in 2015. Jones will lead Wales into the Principality Stadium showdown , having featured in more Anglo-Welsh encounters than against any other opponent during a world record 154 Tests for his country and the British and Irish Lions. A late try wouldn’t even give England a losing bonus point, such is Wales’ advantage at 40-24.. It’s clear Jones has ‘lead by example’ nailed. That probably describes him well too! 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