‘Colossus’ Jones back to face Munster

Ospreys boss Steve Tandy is not disguising the impact Alun Wyn Jones’s likely return from injury will have on his team as they prepare to upset the odds in Saturday’s Guinness PRO12 semi-final at Thomond Park.

Wales captain Jones is set to make a long-awaited return to the Ospreys second row this weekend, having not played for the Welsh region since January. A shoulder injury suffered against France in the final round of the Six Nations eight weeks ago has kept the British & Irish Lion sidelined as Ospreys have limped into the semis in the fourth and final play-off place.

Munster have had more than their fair share of talismanic locks and in Wales captain, Jones, Ospreys boss Tandy has another, whose expected return will be a massive boost for the men in white as they attempt to become the first away side in league history to win a play-off semi-final.

Jones, 31, was ready to return for the final round of PRO12 action, when Ospreys were crushed by West Wales rivals Scarlets, but as much as he is valued by his head coach, the second row had to be ordered not to play.

“He is a natural leader and everyone will follow him,” Tandy said of Jones. “Having played with him and coached him, I feel he’s an exceptional captain. We can’t wait to get him back in our environment. He is the hub of what we do as Ospreys. You could see how important the region is to him that he wanted to put his body on the line and play against the Scarlets. But with a points difference of 73 over (fifth-placed) Ulster, it was in many ways a dead rubber, even if we didn’t play it in that regard.

“He wanted to put himself in harm’s way and play, even with a Lions tour to New Zealand coming up. That epitomises everything he is. I had to stand him down and say: ‘No, you’re not playing this weekend’.

“It ain’t easy, telling a player who has led the Lions he shouldn’t play. He is desperate to represent the Ospreys shirt and that is the mark of the man. Even when injured he is around the training environment, offering his services in any way possible. He’s just a colossus of a man, a colossus of a human being. He’s the total package. It’s amazing he’s come through this injury because most other rugby players wouldn’t be anywhere near making a return to rugby at this point.”

Jones will not be the only Ospreys returnee to face Munster with Tandy hoping fit-again Springbok prop Brian Mujati and Welsh backs Ashley Besk and Sam Davies all set to be available and short lay-offs while fly-half Dan Biggar is expected to recover from an ankle injury suffered in that heavy defeat to Scarlets. The Ospreys boss admitted it had been a struggle to convince Jones the side would be better served if he waited an extra fortnight to make his return to play. “There was a 24-hour debate around it. He was desperate to play, but you take medical advice and you look at what is at stake and factor in whether he’ll benefit from having two weeks extra to get stronger. He wasn’t particularly happy, but that’s the mark of the man. As coaches, we have to take certain individuals out of harm’s way when we feel they could benefit from a bit more extra time to prepare for what’s ahead.

“I can’t wait for the Munster game. I can’t wait for us Ospreys to go up against a real strong team who did unbelievably well in the Champions Cup. Hopefully, we’ll prove a few people wrong.”