Celebrations erase bad memories for Jones

The Grand Slam champagne tasted all the sweeter to Wales captain Ryan Jones because of the injury hell he has been through over the last three years.

Jones has had two operations for separate injuries on the same shoulder since the 2005 Grand Slam, forcing him to miss the whole of the following season and eight months of last year.

He was made Wales captain in January after only a handful of matches for the Ospreys but, seven weeks later, he lifted the RBS 6 Nations trophy after Wales had completed the 10th Grand Slam in their history.

Jones celebrated like there was no tomorrow but took time out to reflect on those who had helped him through the hard times and kept the faith that it would all come right again.

“I realised how special these moments were when I was sat on the touchline for so long with some pretty bad injuries,” said Jones.

“I think it is those moments that make you appreciate these all the more.

“I told the boys, my proudest moment was not lifting the trophy on behalf of them but just being associated with them in the changing room.

“I know how hard these guys have worked and they got what they deserved.

“These occasions are also great for the family and friends who were with you during those pretty dark times.

“Everyone wants to pat you on the back when things are going well but there are not many people who will pop round the house when you are low and down. It is a big thank-you to them.”

Jones captained by example and his performances through the tournament grew increasingly immense until, in the clinching victory over France, he put in 20 tackles and made 10 carries with the ball.

Jones’ tackle count was nearly one sixth of the whole team’s in an heroic defensive performance as France dominated around 70% of possession but never came near the Welsh try line.

Wales edged ahead after an attritional first hour with a try from winger Shane Williams – but for Jones the decisive moment was still to come.

With 10 minutes remaining France kept pressing and Wales needed to turn the tide. They did so in emphatic fashion, pushing the French pack off its own ball and exacting the sweetest of turnovers.

That was the moment Jones knew he had followed in the footsteps of legendary figures likes John Dawes, Mervyn Davies and Phil Bennett in becoming a Grand Slam-winning captain.

“It was the turning point,” said Jones. “It was the moment we realised they had cracked, that we were better than them and it was our game.”

If Wales’ triumphant campaign had to be boiled down to one moment, Jones believes it was the 10 minutes they survived without scrum-half Mike Phillips in the win over Ireland in Dublin.

Phillips was sin-binned for dropping a knee on Irish prop Marcus Horan just before half-time but Wales played out the 10 minutes to perfection.

Shane Williams slotted in at scrum-half, Wales kept play tight, won a penalty which Stephen Jones kicked and then Gavin Henson launched a giant touch-finder to keep Ireland deep in their own half until Phillips returned.

“There were great individual moments in the campaign – Lee Byrne’s try against England, Shane’s try against Ireland – but what epitomised this team was the way we played when we were down to 14 men.

“We took a lot of pride from that. We grew as a team and as a group.”