Alun Wyn Jones will set a new Ospreys record on Friday night when he over-takes Paul James at the top of the all-time appearance list.
It will be his 233rd appearance, just over 15 years after his debut and less than a week after his 120th Wales cap.
The 33-year old reported back for duty at Llandarcy Academy of Sport on Monday after a successful Autumn campaign which saw Wales claim a clean sweep of victories, Jones playing in three of the four games.
A legend of the world game, he has been a mainstay of both the Ospreys and Wales packs for over a decade since becoming one of the first youngsters to come through the regional development pathway.
Having featured in the first game at the Liberty Stadium, a pre-season fixture against Wasps at the end of August 2005, his senior Ospreys debut came the following weekend as a second half replacement in the Region’s first competitive game at their new home, a Magners League win against Leinster.
Since then he has so far managed to clock up an impressive 232 Ospreys appearances to date, level with Paul James, and is one of only five players to have worn the shirt more than 200 times. His tally of 25 tries is the second highest by a forward.
He was appointed captain of his home region in August 2010 and led the team on 115 occasions, more than double any other player, prior to standing down from the role this summer.
Having represented Wales at age-grade level, the former Bonymaen RFC and Swansea RFC youngster made his full international debut on the 2006 tour of Argentina.
In total, he has 120 Wales caps and was part of three Six Nations winning sides including the Grand Slams of 2008 and 2012. He captained Wales for the first time in 2009, against Italy, taking the armband three more times in 2014, before being formally appointed national skipper in 2017.
Selected for three British & Irish Lions tours, to South Africa (2009), Australia (2013) and New Zealand (2017), he played in all nine tests and captained the team in the decisive series winning third test in Australia.
Only seven players have represented the Lions on more occasions, while his international total of 129 appearances (Wales and Lions) puts him eighth in the all-time world list.
AWJ Roll Of Honour
Celtic League/Magners/PRO12 titles – 3
EDF Energy (Anglo Welsh) Cup title – 1
Six Nations Championships – 3
Grand Slams – 2
Lions tours – 3 (1 series win v Australia, 1 series draw v New Zealand)
