Adam Jones (rugby union, born 1981)

Adam Jones

Birth name

Adam Rhys Jones

Date of birth

8 March 1981 (age 37)

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

Senior career
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
2000–2003 2003–2014 2014–2015 2015–2018	Neath Ospreys Cardiff Blues Harlequins	40 195 24 30	(10) (15) (0) (0)
Correct as of 24 February 2017
National team(s)
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
2003–2014 2009, 2013 2015	Wales British & Irish Lions Barbarians	95 5 2	(10) (0) (0)
Correct as of 14 June 2014

Senior career
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
2000–2003 2003–2014 2014–2015 2015–2018	Neath Ospreys Cardiff Blues Harlequins	40 195 24 30	(10) (15) (0) (0)
Correct as of 24 February 2017
National team(s)
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
2003–2014 2009, 2013 2015	Wales British & Irish Lions Barbarians	95 5 2	(10) (0) (0)
Correct as of 14 June 2014

Adam Rhys Jones (born 8 March 1981) is a Welsh former professional rugby union player.

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.

Jones' improvement under the guidance of Warren Gatland saw him selected for the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa and he made the squad for the first Test in Durban. After shoring up the Lions' retreating scrum in the first Test, Jones started the narrow second Test loss to South Africa in Pretoria. In June 2009 Gethin Jenkins, Jones and Matthew Rees were selected as the British and Irish Lions front row for the 2nd Test against South Africa. This was the first time an all-Welsh front row was selected for a Lions test match since Billy Williams, Bryn Meredith and Courtney Meredith on the 1955 Lions tour. Jones was sent home after the 2nd test match with South Africa in which they lost 28–25 after dislocating his right shoulder. Jones was sidelined for six months with the injury and had surgery on torn shoulder ligaments. During the two Tests, Jones was on the field for 81 minutes, during which the British Lions scored 30 points and conceded 15. In his absence, the Lions scored 16 points and conceded 39.

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