Jones lauds Irish second row stars

WALES lock Alun-Wyn Jones has hailed the durable quality of Ireland’s revered second-row partnership of Donncha O’Callaghan and Paul O’Connell.

Jones and Bradley Davies will go head-to-head with the Munster warriors in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash at the Millennium Stadium.

And Ospreys forward Jones, a British and Irish Lions colleague of the Ireland pair in South Africa two years ago, anticipates another fierce examination.

He said: “You look at the last five or six years, and they’ve been the most consistent second-row pairing in northern hemisphere rugby, for Munster and Ireland.

“With O’Connell back now, they will add to the Ireland pack. I should imagine they will get back on the horse and go well again.

“Paul has got his match fitness back now, and that’s a lot different from training fitness. The performances he has been putting in for Ireland, he’s almost back to where he was.”

O’Connell and O’Callaghan have won 143 caps between them — only 64 less than the entire Welsh pack’s tally this weekend — with 2009 Lions skipper O’Connell close to top form again, following a lengthy injury absence last year.

And their experience could have a key bearing on Saturday’s outcome, with both sides needing victory to keep alive their title hopes.

Wales though, have got it all to do, as Ireland have lost just once in Cardiff since 1983 and they hold an 8-3 overall lead in Six Nations tests between the countries.

Jones was absent injured when Wales lost emphatically in Dublin last season, while 12 months previously Ireland took the title and Grand Slam — their first championship clean sweep for 61 years — when a late Ronan O’Gara drop-goal sparked scenes of wild Irish celebration in the Welsh capital.

“We play against the Irish players week in, week out in the Magners League. We know a lot about each other — it’s a pretty frequent thing.

“They still like to play off a dominant set-piece, the lineout especially, with O’Connell ruling the roost. And with the experience they possess, they’ll play the waiting game, although they’re trying to play a more expansive game with the finishers they’ve got.”

Scotland team to play England at Twickenham on Sunday, March 13 (kick-off 3pm):

C Paterson (Edinburgh); S Danielli (Ulster), J Ansbro (Northampton), S Lamont (Scarlets) M Evans (Glasgow Warriors); R Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), R Lawson (Gloucester); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), R Ford (Edinburgh), M Low (Glasgow Warriors), R Gray (Glasgow Warriors), A Kellock (Glasgow Warriors, captain), N Hines (Leinster), J Barclay (Glasgow Warriors), K Brown (Saracens).

Replacements: S Lawson (Gloucester), G Cross (Edinburgh), R Vernon (Glasgow Warriors), A Strokosch (Gloucester), M Blair (Edinburgh), D Parks (Cardiff Blues), N De Luca (Edinburgh).