The British Lions No.8 makes his first regional appearance in eight months when he captains the Ospreys against Llanelli Scarlets at Stradey Park on Thursday. Jones, 26, was ruled out of the 2007 Rugby World Cup after undergoing a second shoulder operation in two years last April. Just five days after playing eighty minutes for Principality Premiership team Swansea at St Helen’s, the Grand Slam winner is hoping to stake a claim for the remaining Heineken Cup pool games, and the 2008 RBS Six Nations.
Jones said: “It’s been so frustrating but it was great to come through a club game first and get a few bumps. Now I feel ready to push for my place. It’s not a smooth path but I’m confident I can figure in the RBS Six Nations if I can get games under my belt.”
Jones shot to fame in 2005 when he lifted the RBS Six Nations title with Wales and started two Tests for the Lions against New Zealand, but he missed almost the entirety of the next season following surgery before suffering a relapse earlier this year.
Ospreys Coach Lyn Jones said: “It will be a massive positive for both the Ospreys and for Wales to have Ryan back on the park and he is keen to make up for lost time.”
However, the coach is aware that Ryan Jones will face a Scarlets team desperate to turn around their recent slump in form and gain revenge following their 50-24 hammering at the Liberty Stadium on Boxing Day last year. He said: “We always look forward to the challenge of Stradey Park and by this I mean not only the challenge set by their players, but also the challenge laid down by a passionate and vocal home support. The three games over the Christmas and New Year period will have a massive bearing on whether we will retain our title.
“There are many fascinating individual battles within this fixture, with Ryan up against Alix Popham, Morgan Stoddart against Lee Byrne, Matthew Rees against Richard Hibbard and the half backs will also clearly be out to get one over each other.
“All of these boys will be looking to give Warren Gatland something to think about when he is considering his RBS Six Nations squad at the end of January. A key man for the Scarlets is clearly Regan King, who is again on top form this season, but we are also expecting a fiery encounter from a Scarlets pack which has won only one of their last six matches.”
