Jones: Experience can clinch Grand Slam
7-48 Wales
Who better to guide a team through a Grand Slam week than a captain who has won three of them in Alun Wyn Jones, although this week’s opportunity in Paris for a clean sweep will be unusual as it is played in an empty Stade de France.
“I don’t know if it gets easier or more difficult the more opportunities you get with games like this,” said Jones. “The biggest thing for me is the realisation we’ve got a lot of players in this squad that have been in these weeks before. We’ve got a lot of players that have played a lot of Premiership rugby, competitive rugby at domestic level, even if they’ve not experienced it here.
“You don’t want to be over the top with the messaging and speak too much, because it builds the fatigue levels. Ultimately, we’re going to rely not on past experience but the fact it’s another opportunity and challenge to play for Wales in a special week.
“I was very clear we will deal with that on Tuesday when we get into camp. We have a couple of days off, so I made a point to the boys to make sure they have some switch-off time and spend some time with their families before we go into next week.”
Wales came into this Six Nations widely written off, and quite understandably so after their struggles in 2020, when they won only three matches. They have already won more than that this year and we are only halfway through March.
According to George North, the Wales centre, flying under the radar suits this side just fine.
“I think, certainly after the autumn series, there wasn’t much hype about us, which is always good because we like to be underdogs,” North said.
Saturday’s bonus-point win over
Italy was as comfortable as head coach Wayne Pivac could have hoped for: a try bonus point inside half an hour, no injuries and frontline starters such as Alun Wyn Jones and Dan Biggar safely taken off after 50 minutes. Wales might not have admitted to thinking about the Grand Slam before facing Italy, but of course they must have been. Now, at least, they can openly address the challenge ahead.
Ken Owens’s brace, plus early tries for Josh Adams and Taulupe Faletau meant Wales had five points in the bag inside 30 minutes, with North, Callum Sheedy and Louis Rees-zammit, tied with England’s Anthony Watson as the top tryscorer in the Six Nations on four, rounding off the rout.
Owens, in fact, made a bit of history, becoming the first hooker to score twice in a Six Nations game since Shane Byrne in 2004. “It doesn’t happen very often,” Owens admitted, before expanding on why Wales have equalled their Six
Nations record of 17 tries with a game to come.
“We’re taking our opportunities and trying to spread the ball a lot more,” he said. “We have had some individual brilliance throughout the competition and things are definitely clicking.”
Italy did cross once, a nicelytaken try by wing Monty Ioane finishing off a chip and chase, but it was a rare bright spot on another chastening afternoon for this young side.
Poor as Italy were, Wales’ best rugby has been played in the final quarter against England and in the first half in Rome, highlighting how Pivac’s side are continuing to peak at the right time.
Jones, when asked how many levels Wales need to go up to complete a quite remarkable Grand Slam in Paris this week, kept his answer succinct: “A good few.” What a turnaround from Wales’ autumn struggles.