The Boxing Day derby against the Scarlets will be an extra special occasion for Ospreys stalwart Adam Jones, who will join an exclusive group of players to have made 150 or more appearances for the region.
Jones becomes just the sixth Osprey to reach the landmark, behind Paul James, Jonathan Thomas, Sonny Parker, Andrew Bishop and Duncan Jones.
One of the Ospreys ‘Originals’, Adam has been with the region since its very first day after making his senior rugby bow at Neath RFC in the pre-regional era. As a young up and coming prop he signed for the Ospreys in 2003, making his debut in the very first competitive fixture, a 41-30 win over Ulster at the Gnoll, before going on to establish himself as a key player with both his home region and the national team.
His 50th appearance came in a 27-10 win over Munster at the Liberty Stadium in May 2006, with the century coming up at the Madejski Stadium, home of London Irish in November 2008.
Speaking about joining the 150 club, Adam said:
“I’m honoured and very proud to make it to 150 appearances for the Ospreys, and to be up there with some great players for the region who have already achieved it.
“Time flies really quickly and it only seems like yesterday that we were starting off as a new rugby team, a new entity, and we’ve been through a hell of a lot together as a team since then.
“It’s nice to reach landmarks, and coming against the Scarlets in a Christmas derby makes it a big occasion, but it won’t mean anything if we lose, so it’s about the team and performing well on Boxing Day, not about personal accolades.”
Forwards Coach Jonathan Humphreys paid tribute to the tighthead from Abercrave on his achievement:
“Adam is one of the original Ospreys who has been a fantastic servant to the cause from day one, and who hopefully will remain so for the rest of his career. He’s grown from a young hopeful into a giant of man that is one of the best in the world in his position, and the region can be proud of him. We are delighted for him on this achievement, to make 150 appearances for the Ospreys is something special for Adam and his family to savour.”
Ospreys Managing Director, Mike Cuddy, added:
“Adam is a player who has served his home region with genuine pride since we started in 2003, and before that, he was proud to represent Neath. I’ve worked with him since he signed for Neath as a young man and since then I’ve watched him grow into a genuine world class prop who is proud of his roots. I’m delighted for him on reaching this memorable landmark.”