Ryan Jones turned in an inspirational man-of-the-match performance to help the Ospreys extend their unbeaten Heineken Cup run at the Liberty Stadium to 14 matches after being selected in the unfamiliar territory of the second row.
Jones started a game at lock for the first time since November 2004, when Mike Ruddock handed him his second cap and first Wales start in the second row for the record breaking 98-0 win over Japan at the Millennium Stadium, but to be pitched in against the Aviva Premiership leaders London Irish in a critical Heineken Cup game was a whole different ball game.
Speaking to the press after the game, he acknowledged that his first objective was not to let his teammates down:
“I had four days to learn a new set, and scrummaging is a lot harder than it looks! I came into the game hoping not to let anybody down, I came out and did my best and things went okay.
“I just want to play, that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do, I’m competitive. It can’t be that hard if Goughie’s been doing it for a living! It’s been highly competitive this week! There are different aspects to the game, I was a bit lost for certain patches early one but the more you play somewhere the more comfortable you become.
“For me, I so dearly love this club and I just want us to do well. I just want to be on the pitch when the whistle goes at the start. I just want to play, and whatever they deem is best for the team I’ll give it a go but I’d like to think I’ve got a few more games left in me at 8 yet. Again, if I play there, hopefully I won’t let anybody down.”
With the Ospreys win moving them to the top of Pool 3 ahead of the game between Munster and Toulon at Thomond Park, Jones says that it was important to ensure they picked up the four points at the Liberty Stadium:
“It’s a highly competitive group like so many others, and we just need to make sure that we win our home games. We were bitterly disappointed not to come away with more last week and we’ve just got to make sure it doesn’t count against us going forward.
“Down to 14 men it was all about coming away with the result, we needed to make sure we came away with the win and I think we showed great maturity in large patches of that game. We didn’t get caught up in the occasion and try to play London Irish at their own game. I think we came with a game plan, we implemented it and it came off. It worked and we came away with the points.
“It’s hugely important to get that home win. We’ve got a bit of a break now before the next round so we’ve got to make sure everybody’s fit, tinker with a few things and try to come up with a game plan that will allow us to hopefully get two results against Munster so that we can really take this group by the scruff of the neck.”