Alan Wyn Jones is now looking forward to a new career as a “full-time family man”. Photo: Athena Pictures/Dimitris Legakis
Alan Wyn Jones feeds his eight-month-old daughter Loti in the kitchen of his Swansea home. Moments later, he lifts the youngest of his three daughters onto his lap as she playfully grabs his face as his wife Anwen looks on.
Dressed in all black, the most capped player in rugby union history maintains an imposing physique, but it is a scene of domestic bliss that is a far cry from his public image as a tireless warrior who won 158 caps for Wales and 12 caps for England. and the Irish Lions in four rounds.
Four weeks into retirement, the 38-year-old's thoughts are already turning to the next phase of his life. But before moving on, he needs to look back. For the last time.
During his illustrious international career he won five Six Nations titles, including three Grand Slams. The Ospreys have also competed in four World Cups, reaching the semi-finals twice. Jones appears to have defied medical logic in 2021, recovering from a dislocated shoulder suffered in the Lions' warm-up match against Japan. and returned. and captain Warren Gatland's side in the Test series against South Africa. He also captained the Lions to their third Test series win over Australia in 2013.
Jones defied medical logic to not only take part in the British and Irish Lions series against South Africa, but also captain the Test team in their three Tests against the Springboks. Photo: Pennsylvania/Steve Haag
But the final battle appears to be drawing near. come to terms with how it all ended. Jones announced his retirement from the national team in May this year, despite initially being included in Wales' provisional squad for the World Cup in France.
He has kept his advice until now, but the best player in the Welsh shirt in the professional era wants for the sake of his future and well-being to share his latest chapter.
“I haven't finished this kind of interview I've been doing for a long time, and this will be the last which I like,” says Jones, who made his Test debut in Argentina in 2006.
“But I need to share my point of view. so that my family and I can move forward. Ever since I retired from international rugby, everyone has been asking me questions, and as time goes on, those questions are becoming increasingly difficult to answer.”
Jones walks through the kitchen and picks up a small box, pulling something out of it. what looks like a small silver Bluetooth speaker. Essentially, this is a personal ECG device that allows you to monitor your heart rhythm.
“I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation,” he says. “This was discovered when I had a full medical examination, including an ECG, when I joined Toulon in July on a short-term contract as cover for the World Cup.
“The cardiologist noticed it straight away. My heartbeat was like a galloping horse on six legs. It was all over the place.
“For people my age, it's more likely to be cardiovascular exercise and stress. This happens in sports like rowing and endurance sports, but it was a shock because throughout my career I have always prided myself on my fitness. I have always strived to do extras after matches, constantly work on my fitness and recover from injuries.”
Alan Wyn Jones and his wife Anwen at the 2019 BBC Sports Perseverance of the Year Awards. Photo: PA/Jane Barlow
The next day Jones flew back to London to see a consultant who assured him it was a risk to his health. was low, but with his heart rate steadily rising, it would be important to undergo the procedure after his contract with Toulon expires in November to prevent long-term complications.
“We acted on medical advice from a rugby point of view,” he added. “There was a risk, but I was ready to play for Toulon. Anwen and I had a conversation as husband and wife, and I said, “I've come this far, if I quit, at least I'll be doing what I love.”
“This may seem like a selfish decision. considering I have three young daughters, but I needed to take advantage of this opportunity. It was only supposed to last four months and it gave me the opportunity to gain experience and perspective on my career and life.”
Accepting the Toulon contract, despite his condition, was important to Jones for two reasons. His contract with the Welsh Rugby Union was due to expire in November and his “old school” attitude was such that he always intended to respect this rule.
Cameo role in Toulon, including that of team captain in his final appearance. – a victory in Clermont Auvergne four weeks ago, which brought him a standing ovation – allowed him to meet the target deadline and end his 19-year career.
But it was more important to enjoy his last significant adventure in rugby, given that , as his international career ended.
“I began to think: 'Has my time come?'
When I was diagnosed with a heart condition, he was told that he most likely developed it between a year and 18 months ago, during the period in his Test career when he was first told his “numbers” were The physical fitness gained during matches and training was falling.
Now he couldn't help but wonder if this decline was caused by an underlying health condition, rather than the general expectation that age had finally caught up with the great warrior.
Looking back, hindsight is a wonderful thing. but signs and perhaps symptoms appeared in early 2022, when, after a five-month layoff and two shoulder operations, he won his 150th cap for Italy.
Jones played a world-record 158 times for Wales and appeared for the British and Irish Lions in 12 Tests. Photo: PA/Joe Giddens
He began to notice a decline in his fitness and fitness, despite doing everything he could to complete his rehabilitation plan. At the time he attributed this to his absence from Test rugby, but was benched for the three Test tour of South Africa that summer.
“After every practice and every game, I did extras because I wanted to participate,” he added. “I even played as an extra after the last game of the summer tour because I was trying to prove a point. But now it turned out why I felt tired. I remember feeling a strange rapid heartbeat, but didn’t think anything of it because I was used to pushing my body.
“It was similar in the fall of 2022. I remember doing the Bronco (an intense rugby cardio fitness test) for the first time in a couple of years and my time on the test was significantly worse than the previous time. Now I'm wondering if this was because I could only operate at 75 percent capacity. I am grateful to the strength and conditioning team that stuck with me and still believed in me.
“You always hear about players who have broken their legs when they come to the end of their career. I began to think: “Has my time come?” I spoke frequently with the head coach at the time about my future.”
“They were trying to do the right thing.”
He admits it put him in a dark place, and it was hard for his family too. Feedback to Starter a squad made only after Wales' humiliating defeat to Georgia is hardly a resounding endorsement.
The return of Warren Gatland as head coach in January following the sacking of Wayne Pivac led to another turn of events. The pair had a candid conversation at the start of the Six Nations campaign, during which the head coach told him he would be looking to bring in new second rows, which was always going to be the case at some point.
Jones said that everything was fine, but he had a contract until November and was desperate to do everything possible to get into the squad for the World Cup. “I was grateful to have this conversation,” Jones added.
Jones says he wants to share his story so he and his family can move forward. Photo: Athena Pictures/Dimitris Legakis
Jones It started with defeats to Ireland and England, but the final round defeat to France in Paris proved decisive when he was taken off in the 47th minute. “I knew what Gats was waiting for,” he admitted.
Jones was still named in Wales' World Cup pre-training squad on May 1 but says he was visited by Gatland and forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys the next day. “I knew what would happen,” he added. “They said my numbers had dropped.
“They wanted to do the right thing by appointing me to the squad and then allowing me to retire on my terms. I understood why they did this. They tried to do the right thing, but I wish they had told me this sooner. I would do everything in my power to qualify for the World Championships. I now know that due to my condition it is unlikely to change anything.”
Jones knew it would further when Warren Gatland and Jonathan Humphreys came to visit him in early May. Photo: AFP/Charlie Triballo
Jones is grateful for his distinguished career and to everyone who helped and supported him along the way, including those who gave him the final verdict. An operation four weeks ago improved his condition. He just hopes his experience over the past two years will serve as a warning that will lead to more regular heart screening of players in Wales.
“There's a lot of talk about wellbeing in rugby at the moment, but does it cover it all?” he added. “Are these just things we can afford? Surely the sport has reached the point where players need to be tested more often, especially at a time when the demands of the game are increasing. I was very lucky that everything worked out and I will always be grateful to Toulon for signing me. If I had not been offered a contract, I might never have known about my heart disease.
“These four months in Toulon were as important for me as anything I had done before, physiologically and psychological point of view. view. This was a wake-up call for me.
“Sometimes I forget how old I am because I have been training and playing at the highest level for so long. I never saw myself as anything other than a rugby player. Now I will become a full-fledged family man.”
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