The Ospreys lock made sure every spectator in the packed–to-the-rafters Millennium Stadium jumped to their feet in unison as he sped towards the All Blacks try-line after intercepting replacement scrum half Jimmy Cowan’s pass.
Seventy metres can be a long way for even a fleet footed winger but for a 6ft 5in, 19st lock whose legs have already taken a battering in the engine room, it can seem like the sticky pitch is trying to gobble you up.
Ultimately Jones’s bid for glory failed as All Blacks debutant Zac Guildford flew back in defence to foil Welsh hopes of breaking their 56-year duck against the men in black as Graham Henry’s men secured a hard fought 12-19 victory. To compound matters Jones then shouldered the blame when Wales substitute hooker Huw Bennett threw straight into the hands of All Blacks flanker Adam Thomson five metres out from the All Blacks try-line with the last lineout of the match.
“As a player, there are 101 things you can do in that situation,” referring to his interception. “That will probably be my first and last international interception, but I should have done a lot better. Inside, Alun-Wyn Jones is not very happy with what happened.
“I turned in, but I didn’t see the player [New Zealand wing Zac Guildford] coming across. If I had gone on the outside, I would have probably got a bit further towards the line.”
“World-class players finish things like that, and I don’t think it was a world-class instance in the game for myself,” added Jones.
He was also brutally honest when it came to taking the blame for the late lineout howler.
“Would I do it again? Yes; Should I back myself? Yes; Could I have called another five lineouts [options]? Yes; Was it an individual error? Yes; Was it a poor call? Yes; Will I take responsibility? Yes, that’s what international players do; Will I blame anyone? No. All those questions are answered now,” he said.
“It was a critical moment that we didn’t nail, but we will get the win one day. We will keep getting the tag of nearly-men, but that is going to come to an end sooner or later, and when it does I hope I am around.
“When we do get on the front foot, we play some good rugby. We’ve got to shelve the nearly-men tag and move forward. It was a real opportunity for us. We’ve come a step closer, but not close enough.”
