JONES IS BACK ON BENCH

ALUN WYN JONES’ medical miracle continued when he was named on the bench for the British & Irish Lions to play the Stormers in Cape Town tomorrow.

Head coach Warren Gatland had ruled out a return for the original tour captain before next week’s first Test but backtracked as the Welsh giant landed in South Africa yesterday.

Jones, 35, was sidelined after dislocating his shoulder less than three weeks ago but has a chance to prove his fitness against the Super Rugby franchise.

Marcus Smith gets a first Lions game at 10 while Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw and skipper for the day Stuart Hogg are back from hamstring injury and isolation respectively.

Wing Josh Adams returns after missing Wednesday’s game against South Africa A to witness the birth of his daughter, Lottie, via an internet link.

And Gatland insists Jones (inset) is ready for action even if one of the staring locks is injured early in the clash at Cape Town Stadium.

He said: “If someone comes off he is ready to go. We wouldn’t have brought him out if he wasn’t 100 per cent fit.

“Alun rehabbed and he has been taking a full part in the Welsh training. We have been looking very closely at a number of videos of the training sessions that he has taken part in. If he is in contention for next week he needs a run, a hit out.”

Smith, 22, joined the squad on Monday and Gatland added: “The message to him is go out and make a few people sit up.”