Full name | Adam Rhys Jones | ||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 8 March 1981 | ||
Place of birth | Abercraf, Wales | ||
Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||
Weight | 126 kg (19 st 12 lb; 278 lb) | ||
School | Maesydderwen Comprehensive School | ||
Rugby union career | |||
Playing career | |||
Position | Prop | ||
Professional / senior clubs | |||
Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
2000–2003 2003–2014 2014–2015 2015– |
Neath Ospreys Cardiff Blues Harlequins |
40 195 24 14 |
(10) (15) (0) (0) |
correct as of 13 May 2016. | |||
National team(s) | |||
Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
2003–2014 2009, 2013 2015 |
Wales British & Irish Lions Barbarians |
95 5 2 |
(10) (0) (0) |
Adam Rhys Jones (born 8 March 1981) is a Welsh rugby union player who plays for Harlequins in the Aviva Premiership.
Jones began his career with Neath before switching to the Ospreys with the regionalisation of Welsh rugby in 2003. Following several successful seasons at club level, Jones received a call up to the Wales squad in 2003, making his debut as a replacement against England during the 2003 Six Nations.
Jones almost immediately pinned down the No.3 shirt and was selected for Wales' World Cup squad at the end of 2003. He featured in all of Wales' games at the tournament, starting in the crucial group games against Italy and New Zealand and the quarter final loss to England. At the time, fears over Jones' fitness led to him only playing the first half of games, a trend that he emphatically ended as his career developed.
Jones continued to hold down the starting tighthead spot through the 2004 Six Nations and autumn Internationals.
In 2005, Jones was a key member of the Welsh Grand Slam-winning side, starting all five of Wales' games en route to their historic achievement, it was alongside Gethin Jenkins that he provided a platform for the side in 2005.
Jones was a solid presence during the 2006 Six Nations, and was also one of the senior squad members for Wales' summer tour to Argentina. Following a difficult tournament for Wales in the 2007 Six Nations, Jones was selected for his second World Cup in the autumn of 2007.
In that year's World Cup Jones played in the group stage against Canada and Australia, but was dropped in favour of Worcester's Chris Horsman for the crucial final group game against Fiji. Bouncing back from the disappointment of the World Cup, Jones played in four of Wales' games on their way to the Grand Slam in the 2008 Six Nations.
In his early career Jones was often criticised for a lack of scrummaging power, but he has answered those critics with several seasons of dogged and dependable work in the front row of both Wales and the Ospreys.