Alun Wyn Jones
Cap No 1046
Alun Wyn Jones his Wales debut as a flanker against Argentina in Puerto Madryn in 2006 and his Six Nations debut against Ireland in 2007. His first Six Nations try came against Scotland at Murrayfield in 2009.
He had previously played for Wales at Under 18 and 21 levels, helping the 2005 Wales U21 side to complete the Grand Slam. He has since gone on to win the senior Grand Slam three times in 2008, 2012 and 2019. He was also in the side that won the 6 Nations title in 2013.
He was captain of the triumphant 2019 team and became the 13th member of an elite band of Welsh players to have completed a hat-trick of Grand Slams:
2005, 2008, 2012: Ryan Jones, Adam Jones, Gethin Jenkins
1971, 1976, 1978: Gerald Davies, Gareth Edwards, J P R Williams
1908, 1909, 1911: Johnnie Williams, Billy Trew, Dickie Owen, George Travers, Jim Webb, Tom Evans
Having learned his rugby at Bishop Gore School, Llandovery College and Bonymaen RFC, he played for Swansea while in the Ospreys Academy. He became the Ospreys captain in 2010/11 season and held the post until the end of the 2017/18 campaign. At the Ospreys he was in the side that beat Leicester Tigers to win the Anglo-Welsh Cup at Twickenham in 2008, the Magners League Grand Final against Leinster in Dublin in 2010 and led the side to their 2012 against the same opposition in the Irish capital.
He became Wales’ 129th captain when he led the side against Italy in the 6 Nations in 2009 and at the end of the 2019 6 Nations campaign he had led his country 24 times (15 wins – 9 defeats).
A qualified solicitor who graduated from Swansea University, he became the fifth Welsh player to reach a century of caps for his country. He reached three figures in the 1st Test against New Zealand in Auckland in 2016.
He was selected for the 2009 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa and started in two of the three Tests and was a replacement in the other international against the Springboks. He played in all three Tests in the 2013 tour to Australia, captaining the side in the absence of Sam Warburton in the decisive third and final Test in Sydney that saw the Lions win their first series in 16 years.
He then went to New Zealand in 2017 and once again played in all three internationals in the draw series against the World champions. He is one of a small number of Lions players to have won a Test match in each of the three major southern hemisphere nations.
