The pair of forwards are team-mates at international level and on Saturday, they will be in the same British & Irish Lions pack for the first Test with South Africa in Cape Town.
Wales captain and lock Alun Wyn Jones will become the first man to appear in 10 Lions Tests in the professional era when he skippers Warren Gatland’s Lions against the Springboks.
Loosehead prop Wyn Jones, meanwhile, will make his first Lions Test appearance and complete a remarkable journey which first started at Llandovery RFC.
“When we got to our first Lions meet-up, I had a Wyn Jones bag and another Jones bag. Obviously one of those was for Alun, the other one was for myself,” said Wyn Jones.
“They’re easy mix-ups. It’s the same on Twitter. I get tagged as captain of Wales, I don’t know how many times! I get a lot of message requests asking if I can do a message – they think I’m Alun Wyn.
“Even with the kit here he is AWJ. I’m WJ so when the bags have Jones or Wyn Jones on them, we do sometimes get mixed up.
“Sadly, we haven’t mixed rooms up. He’s still got the suite and I’m in the normal room!”
Jones training with the Lions in South Africa
I get tagged as captain of Wales, I don’t know how many times! I get a lot of message requests asking if I can do a message – they think I’m Alun Wyn
Wyn Jones is now an established Test star in his own right and his selection as a Lions Test starter this weekend is deserved recognition of just that.
Only four years ago, Wyn Jones was making his Wales debut against Tonga in Auckland at the same time as the 2017 Lions were touring New Zealand.
Since then, he has gone on to win 35 Wales caps.
He helped the team to win the 2019 Six Nations Grand Slam and a Championship title under current head coach Wayne Pivac this year.
South Africa is his first Lions tour.
“It was a pretty nerve-racking to be honest with you. We knew Warren was going to name the team in the meeting,” said Wyn Jones about his first Test selection.
“It was a massive honour to hear your name read out. It’s so exciting. It’s such a competitive squad that anyone’s name could have been read out. I’m overwhelmed and can’t wait to get into it.
“South Africa are going to be strong in the set-piece. That’s something you relish as a front row forward and you look forward to the challenge.
South Africa are going to be strong in the set-piece like they were in the A game. That’s something you relish as a front row forward and you look forward to the challenge
“South Africa have a big, heavy pack who scrummage as an eight and they probably won the World Cup because of their set-piece and line-out.
“From my end I will just be looking after our scrum, making sure we get things right, and making sure we don’t let them get a foothold in the game.
“Their line-out stats in the World Cup were pretty impressive. They won nearly every ball and their execution was good and it’s the same at scrum time.
“They are fully committed as an eight and there are no easy scrums.
“They are not world champions for nothing. They are the best team in the world and you want to challenge yourself against the best.
“Saturday is a great opportunity for us as a team and it just makes the occasion even better.”
Scarlets and Wales prop Jones is relishing the current Lions tour
They are not world champions for nothing. They are the best team in the world and you want to challenge yourself against the best
Wyn Jones and Alun Wyn Jones are two of the three Welshmen in the starting Lions XV with fly-half Dan Biggar being the other. Hooker Ken Owens and full-back Liam Williams are on the bench.
Alun Wyn Jones’ recovery from a dislocated shoulder to return to South Africa and the Test side has given Gatland’s men a huge boost.
“I was absolutely gutted for Al initially having to go home from Edinburgh and not being able to fly out with us. It was a big blow for the team and for everyone,” said Wyn Jones.
“If anybody could do it, it would be Alun and he’s back and captaining the side for Saturday. Firstly, I’m chuffed to bits for Al and secondly, it’s a massive boost for us.
“He talks really well, he’s a great motivator, and he pushes standards in training as well.
“It’s a massive boost all round. He knows exactly when to say the right things, leads by example, and just generally gets everything right.
“He’s a leader through and through and someone you follow into any battle.”
Jones (left) celebrates beating Pontypridd with Llandovery in the SSE Swalec Cup semi-final of 2016
To be picked to play in the first Test is a massive honour and something looking back four years ago I wouldn’t have dreamt of
Wyn Jones will get married when he returns from South Africa and carry on working on his farm alongside his rugby career in the years to come.
But he has only one thing on his mind this weekend.
“I probably didn’t think too much about playing for the Lions myself back in 2017,” Jones said.
“I was just focused on getting my first Welsh cap and going on from there. As any player, you want to play the highest standard you can and being on a Lions tour, you can’t get higher than that.
“To be picked to play in the first Test is a massive honour and something looking back four years ago I wouldn’t have dreamt of.
“We watched all the games in the team room. A lot of friends were on that tour and we were just supporters, I suppose.
“I keep in touch with the farm daily and see what they have been up to and what I am missing.
“The farm is in safe hands while I am out here with everybody back home and my sole focus is the rugby.”
British & Irish Lions: Hogg; Watson, Daly, Henshaw, Van der Merwe; Biggar, Price; W Jones, Cowan-Dickie, Furlong, Itoje, AW Jones (capt), Lawes, Curry, Conan
Replacements: Owens, Sutherland, Sinckler, Beirne, Watson, Murray, Farrell, William
South Africa: Le Roux; Kolbe, Am, De Allende, Mapimpi; Pollard, De Klerk; Nche, Mbonambi, Nyakane, Etzebeth, Mostert, Kolisi (capt), Du Toit, Smith
Replacements: Marx, Kitshoff, Malherbe, De Jager, Elstadt, H Jantjies, E Jantjies, Willemse
Kick-off: 5pm (UK)
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
