Jones sure he can help Scots rise and shine
HUW JONES has hardly slept since Saturday. The prospect of facing the mighty All Blacks will have caused many to suffer sleepless nights, of course.
For Jones, however, it’s not the forthcoming Test against the world champions that’s been keeping him awake.
The Scotland centre only arrived in the country yesterday morning, following a hectic end to his time in South Africa.
Indeed, it seems that only adrenaline has kept the 23-year-old going, with two tries in a man-of-the-match performance for the victorious Western Force against the Shark sin the Currie Cup final a wonderful way to bring down the curtain on that stage of his career.
After celebrations that lasted into the wee small hours, Jones was up early on Sunday to get a flight from Durban to Cape Town. Once there, he had to clean his flat and bid farewell to family and friends before jumping on to the overnight flight to London.
From there, he was then on to the red- eye flight to Edinburgh to hook up with the Scotland squad, just in time for breakfast. A few hours later, he was immersed in team meetings at their Oriam training base.
However, if he was feeling the effects of his travels, Jones was not for showing it. ‘Little to none,’ he replied when asked how much sleep he had, in fact, managed. ‘I slept a bit on the flight, but the night before, I can’t say the same.
‘When the game finished, there were celebrations, firstly in the changing room and then back at the hotel. They carried on into the night. I then flew back to Cape Town the next morning.
‘Then it was straight home for me to pack my bags and get back to the airport. I landed this morning around 7.30. To be honest, if I hadn’t been called up here, it would have probably been a week-long celebration.’
Perhaps there will be time, or cause, for more festivities over the next month or so.
Scotland are facing three Tests over the next four weeks against Samoa, New Zealand and Australia. It is a daunting prospect, but Jones is determined to show no little ambition.
‘The sort of mindset of losing bravely has gone,’ he declared. ‘We want to go in and compete with the world’s best and what better opportunity than taking on the world number one and three sides over the next few weeks?
‘We are definitely looking forward to taking them on and making our mark against them.’
The Currie Cup triumph signalled the end of his club career in South Africa after three years. Jones is now officially a Glasgow Warriors player.
‘It was the perfect ending,’ he said. ‘The first piece of silverware I have won in South Africa.
‘It was nice to get that before I left on top of a good performance, too. I then packed everything into a few suitcases and headed to Glasgow. I move into my new flat this week.’
Jones hasn’t f eatured f or Scotland since the f i nal Six Nations game of last season, when Scotland beat Italy at Murrayfield. He picked up a long-term hamstring injury that kept him out of the three-match summer tour which began the Gregor Townsend (pictured) era.
Scotland have strength in depth in the centre and now Jones is determined to get back out there and show the new head coach what he can do.
‘ I haven’t played under Gregor before but I have s een what he’s done with Glasgow and what he did in the summer with Scotland,’ he said. ‘ Having s poken to t he Glasgow boys, they only have good things to say about him. ‘I was gutted to miss the summer tour under Gregor and want to get back out there for Scotland. I can play 12 or 13, I am not f ussed, as l ong as I get to play. ‘ Ther e are new players in the squad and I look forward to training with them and learning from them.’