Adam Jones was presented with a special ERC cap to commemorate his 50th Heineken Cup appearance at the weekend.
Ospreys Head Coach, Sean Holley, made the presentation at the team’s hotel in Limerick on Sunday in front of the squad, shortly before they left for Thomond Park where the prop reached the landmark in the 22-16 loss to Munster.
Adam made his Heineken Cup debut in October 2002, playing for Neath against Leicester in a 16-16 draw at the Gnoll. He made a total of 6 Heineken Cup appearances for the Welsh All Blacks during the 2002/03 season, before the arrival of regional rugby ahead of the following campaign. His Ospreys tournament debut came in December 2003 versus Leeds Carnegie at Headingley and Sunday’s game against Munster was his 44th in the competition, the highest tally of any Ospreys player, past or present.
Speaking after the presentation, Jones said:
“It’s always nice to be recognised for your achievements on the field, so I’m delighted to receive my ERC cap for 50 appearances. Nothing would be better than to be able to move that total onto 56 appearances by the end of the season as that would be a double bonus, it’ll mean we’ve reached this season’s final and will also take my Ospreys total to 50.”
Ospreys Managing Director, Mike Cuddy, added:
“Adam is one of Welsh rugby’s real stalwarts and is a key figure both here at the Ospreys and with the national squad. This cap is a tribute to his longevity and durability, and we look forward to seeing him clocking up his next 50 appearances at a quicker rate.”