How former Glamorgan paceman Jones played his part in Wales ending their Wallaby hoodoo
WARREN Gatland’s Wales called on the Aussie-bashing expertise of an unlikely guest speaker ahead of their historic win against the Wallabies.
Cricketer Simon Jones, who bamboozled Australia with his bowling to fire England to Ashes glory 13 years ago, was invited to address Gatland’s squad as they plotted the end of a hoodoo that stretched back 13 games to 2008.
He was happy to oblige, visiting the camp last Thursday and spending time with the forwards. And whatever Jones said evidently had the desired effect, with Wales securing a 9-6 victory at the Principality Stadium.
Jones told WalesOnline: “I was delighted to be asked and impressed they are thinking outside the box with things like this.
“Robin McBryde told me about their 13-game losing run against Australia and thought I could help by giving an insight into how we approached the series against the Aussies in 2005.
“It took the form of a question and answer session and one of my main messages was about not fearing fellow sportsmen. Respect them by all means, but don’t fear them.
“I stressed that the past is the past. This Wales team is about the here and now.
“They are young, they are fit and I told them they should embrace those facts and realise they have everything they need to be successful.”
Jones referenced some of his specific experiences of the legendary 2005 Ashes battle during the talk.
“We went in against Australia with controlled aggression, and that showed when I hit their opener Matthew Hayden with a throw at the stumps,” he added.
“I told the Wales boys that they are able to look around them at their teammates and realise that every one of them has their back.
“I told them to remember they are a family who will all look out for one another.
“I also told them not to fear failure, to express themselves. I reminded them that while the press are there to critique their performances the main thing was knowing they had performed to the best of their ability.”
Jones was instrumental in England’s famous Ashes series victory of 2005 when, alongside the likes of Michael Vaughan, Freddie Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen, he helped the hosts to a 2-1 overall success against an Aussie side that hadn’t surrendered the famous urn since the mid80s.
Some of his reverse swing deliveries that summer were simply devastating.
He finished the drawn third Test at Old Trafford with personal best figures of 7-110 and followed up with a first innings haul of 5-44 at Trent Bridge a week later, before an ankle injury forced him to sit out the fifth and final encounter.
Jones had spells at Worcestershire and Hampshire before returning to Glamorgan and then retiring in 2013 after a career that was hampered at times by wretched luck with injuries.
He now coaches at the Cathedral School in Cardiff, runs the Simon Jones Cricket Academy and is making a name for himself on the afterdinner speaking circuit.
“I’ve some exciting plans for the academy,” he said.
“We run courses in the school holidays but I want to get to training them each week and having our own squad.
“Once we do that, we can perhaps look at going on tour.”
For more information on the academy and Simon Jones’ afterdinner availability, email simonjonescricket@gmail.com.