Stephen Jones

Stephen Jones is the record cap holder for Wales with 104 caps and during that time has scored 917 points for his country. He has also scored 53 points for the British and Irish Lions in six Tests on the 2005 tour to New Zealand and the 2009 tour to South Africa.

He made his international debut as a 50th minute replacement against South Africa in Pretoria, in June 1998. Previously, he had led the Wales U21 side to Grand Slam glory and also captained Wales at U18 level.

Jones featured in all three tests for the 2005 British and Irish Lions against the All Blacks, scoring 14 points in the third Test. He was the 16th player to win 50 Welsh caps and is now the second-highest points scorer in Welsh international rugby history behind Neil Jenkins. Jones was also the third player to top 500 points in the Heineken Cup.

Jones joined Llanelli from school and spent eight seasons at Stradey Park. A move to France in 2004 saw two successful seasons with ASM Clermont Auvergne, before he returned to the Scarlets an improved player for the 2006–2007 season. The season saw him make twenty-two appearances for the regoin, in which he scored 213 points over the course of the year. Jones was also the highest scoring place kicker in the Heineken Cup with 35, a total greater than that achieved by Andy Goode and Ronan O'Gara, of Leicester and Munster respectively.

Jones was selecetd as Wales captain ahead of the 2006 Invesco Perpetual Series; prior to the series he had captained Wales on one other occasion, against England in a Rugby World Cup warm-up match in 2003. He led his side into the first clash of the series against Australia, scoring one penalty before a twisted knee injury forced him off the field. He returned to his captaincy in the last match of the series against New Zealand, scoring Wales's first three points in the 45-10 defeat.

Jones captained Wales in the 2007 RBS Six Nations; he scored all of Wales's points in the matches against Ireland and Scotland, kicked three conversions in the Parisian clash with eventual champions France, converted one try in the defeat to Italy but missed his side's sole victory of the tournament over England through a wrist injury.

After being rested from the two-Test tour to Australia, Jones was named in Gareth Jenkins's 41-man preliminary Rugby World Cup 2007 summer training squad, making the final cut to the 30-man squad in August. He made a substitute appearance against Canada in the Pool opener and notched four conversions in the victory, gained a penalty against Australia, thirteen points of Wales's 72 against Japan at the Millennium Stadium and seven points in the Pool defeat to Fiji.

Jones was selected on the bench by caretaker coach Nigel Davies ahead of Wales's clash with world champions South Africa in the inaugural Prince William Cup but had to withdraw after sustaining a thigh injury while on Scarlets duty.

In January 2008 Jones was selected in new Wales Coach Warren Gatland's RBS Six Nations squad. Jones featured in four of the tournament matches, including two replacement appearances against Scotland and France and scored a total of 44 points for Wales in the Grand Slam campaign.

Battling with the Ospreys’ James Hook to be considered the premier outside half in Wales, Jones cemented his No1 position after coming back from the summer tour of South Africa having played both Tests while Hook played the second at full-back.

Jones, the second-highest points scorer in Wales history, also played against South Africa, New Zealand and Australia in the autumn before being a constant in the 2009 RBS 6 Nations campaign. His form led him to be first choice fly half on the Lions tour of South Africa where he played in all three Tests.

He bacame just the second player to make 100 caps for his country (behind Gareth Thomas) when playing the Barbarians in 2011. He was part of the 2011 Rugby World Cup squad where he played his 103rd test against France in the semi-final which Wales lost, coming off the bench to replace James Hook in the 45th minute. His 104th cap came in the third place play off match against Australia on October 21st 2011.