Jones out to make Schmidt regret prediction

Huw Jones was earmarked by Irish coach Joe Schmidt as a player who could make the breakthrough in the 2017 Six Nations, and naturally the South African-based Scot is keen to prove him right.

“I didn’t know he’d said that,” said the 23-year-old, who scored two tries in his first start against Australia in November and set up a try against Argentina in his second before going off injured.

“I don’t know if he’s being nice or trying to put pressure on me.

“I hope he looks back on it at the end of the championship and realises it was a good decision, but also something maybe he shouldn’t have said.”

The young centre hasn’t played since coming off against the Pumas, but although he admitted to being concerned about his sharpness at first, he’s perfectly happy now.

“I had to go through extra fitness tests at the end of sessions, just to prove I could cope with a whole game,” he said. “I seem to have passed them all.

“I had some time off after December, went back to Cape Town, took care of my rehab, and then did a three-week block of pre-season with the Stormers.

“It was pretty intense stuff, the toughest pre-season I’ve experienced,” he said.

“Even though I haven’t had the same match practice as everyone else, I do feel fit.

“The only way you can get match fitness is by playing matches, but I certainly do feel fresh.”

He’s looking forward to his first Six Nations, having first experienced Murrayfield at just nine years old when Scotland beat Ireland in the delayed “foot and mouth” match of 2002.

“All I remember was that Chris Paterson was playing,” he recalled. “But obviously I’m very excited at playing in the championship, I grew up watching it and dreaming I’d play in it.

“I’m slightly nervous going into the first game but very excited, and that’s always a good thing. I have always been told that if you’re not nervous then you don’t care enough.”

It’s been quite a journey from him, leaving school without being courted by the big club academies and going on a gap year to South Africa that turned into a professional career and now his first Six Nations.

“I never gave up on rugby, but it’s quite hard to believe it’s happened so quickly,” he said.

“Coming out of a school I was fine that I wasn’t going to an academy and going to take a gap year instead. Going to South Africa was probably the best decision I ever made.”

“Even though I haven’t had the same match practice as everyone else, I do feel fit. HUW JONES