Wales: Legend Alun Wyn Jones to remain a key figure in squad says Sean Holley

Welsh legend Alun Wyn Jones’ former coach Sean Holley believes he will remain a crucial member of Wayne Pivac’s squad at next year’s World Cup.

Jones’ return from injury was met with criticism as Wales fell short against Italy in the Six Nations final round, with some suggesting his time could be near an end.

Early criticism

Holley, however, knows Jones from their time at Ospreys together and thinks it is harsh to make judgements on a player that has been out with injury for five months.

“I’m not sure we should be judging a player on his first game back after five months out,” Holley told WalesOnline.

“Let’s judge him on the 500 or so matches he’d played before or when he has a chance to bank more game-time after the injury he picked up last autumn. He’s still in great physical condition and he’s still invaluable off the field. His presence is huge, along with his leadership and his experience.

“Of course, he has to be managed at his age. The Italy clash was difficult with the lack of game-time beforehand, the occasion, the poor team performance, but you can’t pin the side’s display on one player. For me, Wales missed the experience of not just Alun Wyn but of other players as well in the Six Nations.”

The criticism of Jones is rooted in the fact that he replaced Will Rowlands, who was outstanding in the competition. However, Holley is firmly behind Jones’ inclusion despite the loss and all that comes with it.

“I do see Al being part of Wales’ squad at the World Cup. I think that’s long been the target. What his role will be, we’ll have to wait and see. But with this current squad, with no Ken Owens and no Justin Tipuric and Jon Davies not a regular starter any more, plus question marks over whether Liam Williams will continue to be, all of a sudden you are shorn of a third of your team and the guys with the most caps,” Holley said.

“We don’t know if those situations will change in the coming months. But it’s very important to have Al in the picture and give him a chance to prove his form. It’s then up to the coaches to decide whether to pick him.

“Players should be judged on what they contribute. Accepted, the body doesn’t do what it used to do when a player hits his mid-30s, but the mind compensates. You have that experience, you know the cheat lines and the little nuances of the game, and those things get you through.

“It’s still possible for a seasoned player to play great rugby. Paul O’Connell did so for Ireland, Victor Matfield did so for South Africa. At the Ospreys Filo Tiatia joined in his mid-30 and played fantastic rugby for the region for a number of years. So there’s no reason why Al can’t continue to operate successfully at a very high level. He has such knowledge of his position that he can still do well, even at his age.”

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