Munster prepare for a tough encounter
Four years ago Jones-Hughes joined Newport in a blaze of controversy just before the 1999 World Cup following a tug o'war between the Welsh Rugby Union and their Australian counterparts over one of the most promising prospects in Super 12.
However, the dream never really materialised, as a combination of injury and the perilous financial state of club rugby in the valleys conspired against the young centre.
When Newport's future came into question, Jones-Hughes began to ponder his future.
"Having played against Munster and experienced the fantastic atmosphere between the two clubs in Europe, the obvious thing was to think of them.
"That was the first touch I had with Munster and realised what it meant to them the thousands of people who travelled over to cheer on the team, how passionate those supporters were. We felt we had the game in the bag but Munster came back and recorded a fantastic win. The atmosphere was electric and very, very special.
"Munster are a fantastic side, as their record suggests. Those Heineken Cup games between the teams were something really special, a lot of passion, a lot of skill. At the end of the day, when the offer came in, I couldn't think beyond them.
"And, I must say, in the four weeks since I arrived in Ireland, it has been fantastic, better than I really could have expected. The players, all of them, are a great bunch of guys. It's really close, really cool and I feel at home here more than I did in Wales.
"I wanted to come to Munster and as soon as I knew they were interested, there was actually no going back. For me, it was a great opportunity because Munster, apart from playing some very good rugby, have also managed to achieve a lot of things in the last few seasons. I feel very lucky to be involved in this particular set-up."
This evening Munster aim to continue their flawless record in their Celtic League defence. Captain Jim Williams is expecting a testing 80 minutes.
"It's sure to be a very physical game. Llanelli have been able to keep their shape, stick with their own set-up in a time of change. They have tried and trusted players, good combinations and excellent depth in the squad."
However, Williams was far from downbeat about Munster's prospects for this evening's game, particularly now that David Wallace has been included in the side.
"There are a few things I would like to say about that, but I won't go into detail. From our point of view, it's good to have him back. He has just to get on with his rugby now, play a few big games and you never know the World Cup is a six-week tournament and certain things can happen.
"He has just got to keep his form and play like we know how he can play."
In international competition, Munster remain unbeaten at Thomond Park, but Williams is aware of the danger that the record might fall this evening. "In World Cup year, it was bound to be difficult. It's good in one sense that we have 12 players missing but it's bad in another.
"We tried to recruit well in the off-season and I am confident that a number of players will come through. The squad has been training well together and we have got to rely on the fact that there is a huge sense of togetherness within the squad."
Munster, of course, will be boosted by the away victory to Leinster and Williams certainly looks upon that as a bonus.
"That was always going to be a tough, hard fight and it's good to know that we had to dig deep to take the points. We have had to face difficult matches before in the last couple of years and managed to come through. We won't take anything for granted just because we're at home this time. We know it's going to be tough and will have to dig as deep as we did in Dublin last weekend."
Meanwhile Emmett Byrne, Shane Horgan, Darren Molloy, Derek Hegarty, Aidan McCullen, Gavin Hickie are all ruled out with injury for Leinster's game against the Celtic Warriors at Sardis Road tomorrow, and Leo Cullen, one of the most unlucky ones of Ireland's World Cup squad, has been named as captain.
Still, coach Gary Ella believes the Lions can bounce back from last weekend's defeat by Munster. "There is a good buzz within the squad. We met a very experienced Munster side and I have no doubt that we can recover from the initial setback."
LEINSTER; C. Warner, J. McWeeney, K. Lewis, D. Quinlan, B. Burke, M. Leek, B. O'Meara, J. Lyne, D. Blaney, N. Treston, L. Cullen (captain), B. Gissing, N. Breslin, D. Dillon, S. Jennings.
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