Jones eager to face Wallabies

Editor

Centre Huw Jones wants to keep up his try-scoring form when Scotland face Australia in the final end-of-year Test at Murrayfield on Saturday.

The 23-year-old dotted down in both internationals so far this month, against Samoa and the All Blacks, which means he now has six tries in ten Tests.

“I love scoring tries, although none of them has been down to me – they’ve all been off the back of some really good team play, and a lot of the time it’s been about getting that last pass,” said Jones.

“But if I can get a try in every game I’d be very happy about that.” 

The Edinburgh-born man is also a creator as his smart inside pop sent Stuart Hogg haring through New Zealand's defensive line before Beauden Barrett made a last-ditch tackle in the Test's closing stages.

“I thought he was away,” added Jones.

“Five more metres of pitch [on the left flank] and he would have got around there. That’s rugby. So close, agonisingly close but that’s the game. It wasn’t a planned move. He shouted and I saw him so I gave him the ball.” 

Jones is now eager to face the Wallabies and has fond memories of playing against them at Murrayfield last year.

“It was a nice game and I managed to get two tries, but it was a tough loss at the end, so I was pretty disappointed,” he recalled.

“I was really happy for the boys to beat them in the summer, but because I wasn’t involved this is my second chance to try and beat them.” 

Jones is also keen to get going with Glasgow next month and his last matches with Finn Russell after his confirmation that he will leave the club at the end of the season.

“It’s up to him and as he said it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and it’s a short career," he said. 

“I don’t blame him at all. I am just looking forward to playing with him for the rest of this season and hopefully continuing to play for him in a Scotland shirt too.” 

Jones is also not too worried about settling in at his new club.

“I’ve come into this backline where they’ve all been playing together for a while and all gel quite nicely, so it’s been easier for one person to come in and gel with the rest of them,” he explained.

“If we’d all been from different places it would be more difficult, but the fact that we’ve got a full Glasgow backline means it’s quite nice for us. 

“It’s a nice weapon for us that we’re going to be playing week in week out, with each other with Glasgow and hopefully when we come together for Scotland games. It’ll be nice for us to all gel together for the remainder of the season, and it’s always good to have those combinations.” 

Jones also believes he and his Scotland team-mates can keep up their good form.  

“It’s a mindset thing,” he said.

“Barcs [skipper John Barclay] alluded to it after the game when he said that pretty much every team will have their best game against the All Blacks because they are No.1 in the world, but it’s getting into that mindset every game of wanting that intensity and level of performance, no matter what the opposition is.

“I think we’re getting there, it’s more about focusing on ourselves rather than the opposition. If we can get to that level every game then we should get some really good results.

“You can look at our first two games. Against Samoa, we didn’t have our best game and while we didn’t underestimate them perhaps that’s because mentally we might not have been in our best place possible.

“But for the All Blacks, for most of us it would be the biggest game of our careers so far, and if you’re not going to be in the best headspace possible for that game then there’s something wrong with you. It’s replicating that and getting to the right frame of mind for every game.”