JONES APPLAUDS THE SEVENS EFFECT

LEE JONES believes the retention of the Scotland sevens team after it came under threat two years ago has provided a huge boost to both Glasgow and Edinburgh. The Warriors winger, one of the best sevens players in the country, says there is a conveyor belt of Scottish talent learning vital skills in the shortened form of the game. ‘For me, the sevens have been massive over the past four or five years,’ said Jones, who represented Scotland in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and Glasgow. ‘At times when I wasn’t playing for Glasgow, and Edinburgh before that, I was still able to go and get a really high level of rugby. ‘Every time I went back to sevens it was improving. The Scotland team was stronger and the World Series as a whole seemed a lot better. ‘Now it’s a ridiculously high level of rugby. In terms of basic skills, it improved me as a player. I don’t know if I’d be here now if it wasn’t for the sevens programme.’ Yet Scotland’s sevens team were in danger of disbanding for financial reasons only for SRU chief exectuive Mark Dodson to intervene. Since then they have gone from strength to strength, culminating in last season’s win over England at Twickenham in the World Series. Richard Cockerill invited Dougie Fife, James Johnstone and Jamie Farndale to train with Edinburgh in pre-season and is in negotiations to keep them at least until December when the World Sevens Series starts again. Jones also has high hopes for Glasgow team-mate George Horne, part of the squad that beat the Auld Enemy. ‘It’s great the sevens guys are getting a look-in at Edinburgh and hopefully they can do well,’ he said. Jones, 29, has helped Glasgow to two opening wins in the Pro14 and hopes to keep his place for tomorrow’s trip to Cardiff Blues. ‘It was great to get a run in the first couple of games,’ he said.