Time to remember the name – this Jones could be Europe’s greatest ever
Wales’ captain marvel is a peerless leader, a fearsome forward and has the heart of a lion
Considering he may well be the best player the northern hemisphere has produced in the 21st century – and I do not say that lightly – it is amazing how many people cannot get Alun Wyn Jones’s name right. It must drive him potty. Alun Wyn is his Christian name. He is just a regular Jones. Although the truth, of course, is that he is so far from being “just a regular Jones” it is ridiculous.
When Wales face Ireland in Cardiff this afternoon, for their chance to win their fourth Grand Slam in 15 years, their chances of doing so will be exponentially boosted by the presence of their towering, glowering captain in the second row.
Alun Wyn missed out in 2005, making his Wales debut the following year against Argentina. But he was there in 2008 and 2012. And it is no surprise that he is still there now, a constant and reassuring presence in the Welsh engine room.
I am a massive fan. I have waxed lyrical so often about him down the years, people probably think I have some sort of man crush on him. I guess I do. But I have never actually written a column about him. So as he prepares to lead his team into battle today, I just wanted to try to articulate what it is that makes him so special.
First of all, he epitomises everything you want in your captain. He is hard. He brooks no arguments. The kind of person you want to lead you into battle. Or to protect you in one.
If he lived in Roman times, I reckon he would have been the boss of the Praetorian Guard; the hand-picked veterans of the Roman army who were Caesar’s personal bodyguard. Gnarly, old, slightly balding. Basically you do not mess with him. He has definitely got a touch of the Martin Johnsons.
Fran
Cotton used to talk about Johnno being the man you wanted to toss the coin in 1997, to look the Afrikaners square in the eye because they were all giants. Well, there is no one you would rather have knocking on the opposition changing-room door these days and saying: “Hello chaps, it’s time to toss the coin.”
As a man Alun Wyn is softly spoken. I saw him at the Six Nations launch in January, where I was struck both by his vice-like handshake and his articulate conversation. But he exudes authority. I remember when he stepped in to Sam Warburton’s shoes, after Gatland dropped Brian O’driscoll for the decisive Lions Test in 2013. I was there at the first press conference. The atmosphere was electric. What was going to happen? How would they cope with all the media’s questions? Alun Wyn just killed it dead.
As a player, he grows on you. When you think of the greats you tend to think of big moments – dropped goals, tries etc. Alun Wyn is not like that. In the second row, what do they actually do? They run around a bit, jump a bit, bend over a bit. But they are critical to the backbone of the team. Sometimes it is only on re-watching matches that you appreciate how much he does. A strong inside shoulder here, a big tackle there.
Take his last match against Scotland, for instance. In the first 30 minutes there did not seem to be one ruck which he did not counter-ruck. You might think what is the point of that? He did not win any turnovers. But he gave every single Scottish tight forward a going-over at the breakdown. “I’m here,” he was saying. “If you’re loose, I’m here. You’d better be solid. All the time.”
That is what he is like. Relentless. He is always looking, watching, analysing, talking. Not in a chirpy, Matt Dawson-type way. But in a calm authoritative way. When the referee was giving Wales nothing at Murrayfield he was still asking very politely: “Is it out, Sir? Is it out, Sir?”
He is the complete modern second row; his movement up and down in the line-out is exceptional (although if there is one area Ireland are going to target today it is probably the line-out, which has not been infallible for Wales); as a defender he is huge, filling that gap between the 15-metre channels, a sort of one-man wall in the middle of the pitch; while as an attacking force. OK, he is no Brodie Retallick, dummying in the outside channels and romping home from 30 yards, but he does have a bit of the crazy giraffe about him. It does not come out often because the way Wales play is much more bludgeon. But he is actually very athletic.
It is his unconquerable spirit which most impresses me, though. I like to write down quotes which make an impression on me and this one from Babe Ruth could sum Alun Wyn up: “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” That is Alun Wyn all over. This afternoon will be his 134th international, a world record 128 of them at lock. Extraordinary.
Is he the best player the northern hemisphere has produced this century? He has to be in the conversation. Maybe the Heineken Cups Brian O’driscoll won just shades it. I don’t know.
All I know is if I was playing now, he would be the first person I would want on the teamsheet.
People think I have some sort of man crush on him and I guess I do. I am a massive fan