Jones looks ahead to crunch All Blacks clash

Wales lock Jones has been involved in all three Tests on the tours of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand in 2009, 2013 and 2017 respectively.

It’s an incredible record for the 31-year-old forward who sat down with the media in Auckland on Thursday to discuss the prospect of a series win for the Lions this weekend.

Here’s what he had to say…

Has training ramped up with discipline a tight focus?

Very much so and to a point it’s an easy fix. Somebody asked me a question the other day regarding intensity and I think discipline is one of those things that if you don’t let teams off the hook, particularly in certain areas of the field, then you can maintain that pressure. That’s obviously something we will look to do this weekend.

Has peaking at the right time been made possible by a few days off in Queenstown?

I think it’s been fairly intense the last five and a half weeks. There’s a point in which you need to unscrew the cap a little bit and I think we’ve done that in readiness for the weekend. That’s behind us now and it’s a case of the team run, then 80 minutes, and we’ll know where we are.

The All Blacks will come at you hard?

Very much so. Obviously coming back to Auckland, we know what it was like in that first Test. I wouldn’t like to think we were caught cold, but I think coming back here is befitting for the crescendo of the series with the third Test.

You have experience of skippering a series-winning Lions team four years ago?

I think I was at the back of the queue for the captaincy and there were a few people that got taken down by injury at the time. Ultimately, on a personal level, nothing really changes in that last week. Obviously you talk about intensity and what’s at stake, but all those things don’t change with external factors. We’ve got to keep that incremental improvement going into this game. 

The Lions are on the brink of something special. Dare you think of that?

It’s another game of rugby. There’s a lot at stake, there’s a lot of people out here, and that’s very obvious to us all, but we’ve got a job to do for the 80 minutes again. It’s another team run to prepare for and another game to prepare for. That’s got to be the focus.

Growing up, did you ever imagine you’d play nine consecutive Lions Tests?

It’s just another game. You’re only as good as your next one, not your previous, so I’ll focus on the next one and not ones that are gone to be honest.

You never focus on individual accolades – are they something to reflect on down the line?

I’m in the middle of it now and I’ll enjoy it, but it’s not a time to reflect because nothing’s really finished yet. There are still opportunities to fall at a final hurdle so I’ll just focus on the game and being part of the team that we’re in at the minute. 

It’s four years since the series win in Australia. Would winning here eclipse that?

To be honest I wouldn’t allow myself to think of that. I think that’s probably a question for the end of the game on Saturday, depending on what happens.

Have the Lions raised their intensity in training?

I think there’s been a bit of bite in the squad. There was similarly in the third Test in Australia and it’s the same with big games with club and country. You always get that and the edge does get a bit sharper between players. That’s what you need. We’ve had it all tour, but it becomes finer and finer as you go along. It’s nice to be able to feel that.

What improvements do the Lions need to make to win the series?

The one thing that sticks our for everyone watching the game and us as well is the discipline side of things. It’s easy to try too hard and make an impact in many ways. We have to make sure we stay within our structures. If we do that as a group we won’t make those unforced errors and give the ball back to New Zealand.

What about the Lions fans?

We’re quite aware of them. I went for a coffee in Wellington and I didn’t realise how busy it was going to be pre-game. It was a bit of a shock, but a nice shock. It’s been incredible looking out of the hotel window and seeing dots of red in every city we’ve been at. It’s been great and hopefully we continue the positive theme and give them something to go home with this weekend. 

You were caught singing the Maro Itoje song?

Yeah, I’m enjoying it. I’m not the only one who’s got involved in the Maro Itoje song, but it’s nice to be able to enjoy that support. First and foremost you enjoy the game as players and you want to enjoy it with the fans too. 

What’s it like playing with Maro?

It’s alright. He won’t share his cocoa butter with me, but that’s OK. I’m rooming with him at the moment, and I’m making sure he’s liking all the music and is tucked in at night. It’s been nice to work with him. From the outside you can see he’s a physical specimen, but the leadership qualities he has are impressive. He ran the line-out last week and he’ll do the same this weekend so I’m happy to play the supporting role, especially to someone who is playing like he is in this team.

The Lions have so much depth at lock?

It’s like a race I suppose, once you get given the baton you have to stay out in front. There are always going to be questions asked where there is competition and as long as you can answer those you’re deserving of a place. You’re never going to please everyone, but winning rugby games helps and hopefully we can do that.