Determined Jones won’t lose Irish focus

There’s a single-mindedness about Felix Jones’s approach to this Guinness Series and when you have been through the wringer with Ireland as he was three years ago, it is easy to understand why.

As the in-form Munster full-back strives hard this week to make Joe Schmidt’s matchday squad for Saturday’s showdown with South Africa, thoughts of appearing in next year’s World Cup in England have been banished. Similarly the heartbreak of missing out on the last one.

No time for bad memories, no danger of leaping even 10 months into the future, the 27-year-old knows exactly where his focus should be.

“Of course it’s a goal,” Jones said of the World Cup, “but it’s so far away, that I think if you asked anyone here, we’re solely focused on South Africa and then Georgia and Australia next.

“It’s months away and it’s one injury... it’s so far away, it’s not in the back of your head even.”

One injury indeed.

Jones was not months or even days away from making Declan Kidney’s squad for the 2011 World Cup. He was less than 48 hours from being named, one foot on the plane, so to speak, when the other one gave way in a warm-up Test against France at the Aviva. The ligament damage sidelined him for six weeks and with that prognosis went his World Cup dream.

Describing his six caps over three seasons as a “stop-start” Ireland career to date, Jones sums up his Test experience so far while bracing for inevitable mention of that 2011 foot injury.

“I’ve had a couple of injuries that have probably curtailed my development but I keep coming back and keep trying to get involved. It’s just a massive honour to get up here any time.”

Here it comes, the World Cup nightmare has reared its ugly head.

“Yes, that would have been the killer blow but I’ve moved on from it. It’s just a part of it now and you have to adapt. You might have to change a few things about yourself. You just have to adapt or die, I suppose.

“Guys that come back from injury, they may be lacking in certain areas or, it’s always a rush to get back. You always want to get back in as quick as you can and, say it’s a foot injury, a shoulder injury, whatever it might be, you might be limited in what you can do, so you have to develop in other ways.

“You’ve got to spend time away from the pitch when you aren’t playing, developing other skills, while trying to get the more efficient area back up to par. You just have to adapt and keep developing yourself.”

That is what Schmidt wants to see, and Jones enjoys the honest appraisals the national boss gives him.

“He’s brilliant... in terms of his detail, his feedback and knowledge about things in general.

“My relationship with him is good, it’s very honest and he’s always given it to me straight and never tried to sugarcoat anything. He’s aware of my abilities, my strengths and weaknesses, and we have honest conversations.

“Everyone’s looking to impress. There’s no room for you to be able to say ‘right, I’ll do well here’. You’ve got to do well every session, for that play and for that moment.

“It’s living in the moment of a play rather than thinking about setting it up for the World Cup.”