He’s raring to go!
Not even injury can stop Jones making Scots trip to Japan
FROM the age of 11, Huw Jones has had the same Scotland flag hanging above his bed. The location has changed — from the bedroom in his parents’ home in Lincoln, to his dormitory at boarding school in Somerset, to his flat in the suburbs of Cape Town where he plays for the Stormers — but the flag, albeit a bit faded now, has remained.
It is there as a constant reminder of his roots and is the reason why there was only ever one international team the Edinburgh-born centre wanted to play for.
The name Huw is a nod to his father’s Welsh heritage but, ironically, Wales were one nation Jones was not eligible to play for as neither his parents nor grandparents were born in the Principality.
He did have the opportunity to throw his hat in the ring with England — where he spent his childhood years and where mum and dad William and Hilary were born — or South Africa through residency rules.
But it was always Scotland he wanted to play for, despite having left this country with his family aged two.
Now he has been rewarded, as Scottish Rugby continue to cast their net for players worldwide, and is the only uncapped member of the 27-man Scotland squad heading to Japan.
‘I wouldn’t ever have considered it an option to play for South Africa,’ said the 22-year-old. ‘I would never support the Springboks let alone want to play for them! They know that and I’ve told them.
‘I’ve always supported Scotland when watching the Six Nations growing up. I’ve had a flag hanging above my bed since I was 11 or so and I’ve still got the same flag in Cape Town now.
‘I wasn’t expecting to get the call to join up with the Scotland squad for the Japan tour but, when I did, it didn’t take long to accept.’
It is an indication of Jones’ desire to be involved — and Scotland head coach Vern Cotter’s determination to have him capped — that he will travel to the Far East with a foot injury.
The strain has stopped him training fully since he joined up with the squad at Murrayfield this week, and may even prevent him playing in the first Test in Nagoya a week on Saturday, but he hopes to be ready for the second game in Tokyo seven days later.
‘I’ve struggled for game time this season with the Stormers because of the foot injury,’ said Jones, who was born in Edinburgh’s Eastern General Hospital when his parents were teaching at primary schools in the capital.
‘I haven’t been able to do full training since I got here to Murrayfield, just plenty of rehab and physio. At the moment, I’m unavailable for selection for the first Test. That may change but it’s up to doctors and physio.
‘We have one more training session today (Friday) and then we fly on Saturday and I’ll see how I get on next week in Japan. If I don’t make the first Test, then the second one is the target.’
Earlier this week, Scotland attack coach Jason O’Halloran said it would ‘make sense’ for Jones to join either Edinburgh or Glasgow Warriors for next season rather than remain in South Africa if he wants to forge a long international career.
Jones can see his point but expects to remain contracted to the Stormers at least up to and including the three-match home Test series against Australia, Argentina and Georgia this November.
‘I haven’t had that conversation with Jason over my future, but I can see his point of view that it would help,’ added Jones.
‘At the moment, though, I’ve only just got involved and I’m hoping to get my first cap for Scotland in Japan.
‘Super Rugby finishes in August, then there’s the Currie Cup, so there’s still a long way to go.
‘I was released by the Stormers to join up with Scotland for this tour, so I’m sure if I was picked again for the autumn Tests it wouldn’t be a problem.
‘The Six Nations next year, that’s another issue I suppose, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.’
Jones actually turned down an approach from Glasgow 18 months ago, but the prospect of Test rugby could change his mind.
‘I visited Glasgow at the end of 2014 but decided against it as I wanted to stay at the Stormers,’ he said. ‘I chatted to Gregor Townsend. Al Kellock gave me a good tour of the stadium and I knew they had a great squad.
‘You can never predict the future, but I would obviously consider it if either Scottish clubs came calling.’