Exeter’s Hill has great admiration for Welsh wind-up merchant Wyn Jones

ENGLAND second row Jonny Hill is ready to battle a player he believes capable of winning games singlehandedly for Wales.

Hill will collide with Alun Wyn Jones in today’s Guinness Six Nations title clash in Cardiff (4.45pm) in what will be his third meeting with the Wales captain and world’s most capped player.

Exeter’s double winner sees few shortcomings in one of the leading contenders to captain the Lions against South Africa this summer.

“I’m really looking forward to the challenge of playing against him. He’s a player who has given an awful lot to the game,” said Hill, who packs down alongside Maro Itoje.

“He’s been brilliant for rugby as a whole and for rugby in Wales. He’s single-handedly won games for Wales over the years.

“As a second row he’s an allrounder. He handles the ball really well, he can carry, he’s a good lineout operator, great in the maul. He’s a good scrummaging second row also. There aren’t many faults in his game hence why he has 150-odd caps.”

Among Jones’ strengths is his ability to rattle opponents through windup tactics, as England found out to their cost in 2019 when Kyle Sinckler was successfully targeted.

On that day at the Principality Stadium, Sinckler had to be replaced as the red mist descended in a game the Lions prop now views as pivotal to learning how to harness his combustible temperament.

And at Twickenham last year, Jones had his testicles grabbed by Joe Marler in an incident that earned the colourful front row a 10-week ban.

Eddie Jones has alerted his players to Jones’ ability to get under the skin, but Hill insists he is impervious to any provocation.

“That sort of thing doesn’t really phase me. Being the character I am, I’ll just crack on and he can do whatever he wants. I’ll just keep playing,” Hill said.

“Players may have tried to wind me up, but I’m not aware of it. Sometimes I’m so tired or so focused that I don’t notice or it doesn’t affect me.”

> Jonny Hill