Is Stephen Jones a Welsh rugby legend? It was a question I asked those that follow me on twitter, with dramatically varying answers. Some felt that he is deserving of the status of a Welsh legend – 2 Grand Slams, Welsh captain, 5 Lions caps, Success in France and Wales.
Others feel that whilst good he is no more than a solid to very good player who, whilst deserving of accolades, shouldn’t be mentioned in the same breath as Phil Bennett and Barry John.
My Opinion
I think he has made himself a Welsh legend. Stephen Jones has achieved almost everything he can in the game, and done so with aplomb. I feel the only reason he is not considered legendary by some is because he doesn’t quite do things as well as others – but his overall game I think is up there with almost any 10.
Ok Neil Jenkins was a better kicker, but Stephen is still excellent out of hand and at posts. Yes Phil and Barry both could run better, but Stephen makes his fair share of line breaks. Yes James Hook has a better offensively defensive game than Stephen at the moment, but Stephen is still a class defensive 10. Bennett did get the line going better than Stephen, but only just.
I think that Stephen suffers from the view of him being ‘journeyman’ like in some peoples eyes because there is not one facet of his game that you could say is the best in the world, or better than ex-welsh outside halves. But I do believe his overall game is truly superb and he deserves to get talked about in the same breath as others.
Yes it is possible James Hook will surpass his in a couple of season – but then James Hook is showing every indication of having all the attributes of a legendary 10 in the making himself. But right now he is, rightly, behind Stephen in the pecking order. Stephen is at the peak of his game at the moment, truly inspirational against the South Africans on the weekend, in what was a heart breaking game for British Lions fans.
Maybe you consider Barry John and Phil Bennett above Stephen in the rankings of Welsh outside halves, and thats fair enough. But it is my belief that he has earned the right to be mentioned alongside those players of yesteryear.
The game has moved on dramatically, and Stephen is a product of that. Expecting him to be like previous legends is unfair. Stephen is a world class 10 in his own right, as a Welsh rugby legend in my opinion.
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SJ’s major failing and the reason why, for me, I will never consider him world class, is his ability to throw away a game. We call him “Liability number 1″ (there are often several on the pitch for Wales in one game, after all), because of his seeming talent for mucking things up. I know all players do this occasionally, especially under pressure, but SJ in a Welsh jersey has done it more often than most.
But in his defence, at least he’s not as obnoxious and selfish as Mr Charlotte Church.
Cymru Angel – got me lost there I’m afraid – when has he messed up?
The kick in the 6 Nations vs Ireland was likely to always be out of his range. I consider him the ‘safe pair of hands’, far from a liability!
I really don’t see it at the moment – maybe you can give some examples?
Jones has been the top European fly half for the last few years. Does not that make him world class? We simply cannot compare modern players with our 70s legends anymore. Benny and John would have adapted to modern defences but breaks would have been rarer at international level. Jones is one of the best organisers that we have had in that position. aI agree with all of the above (Jenkins, Benny, John but no Jonathan Davies?)but his role in two grand slams were paramount. Give the guy his credit and appreciate that in place of Stuart Barnes’s ‘stardust’ is a world class general.
So we are using English?
Anyway, Stephen is fantastic…. A true Welsh hero. Nuf said.
And what about the appearences on ‘Y clwb rugbi’ where he is to be found teaching rugby skills to children? A spokesman for the game and the language!!!
Get off your high horses. The this wouldn’t be such a hot topic if it wasn’t so true.
And if I here another thing about the Ireland kick I will scream. Could you make that kick at half distance under the weight of the nation? i think not.
Aww, this is just really good. He made me fall in love with Rugby and yes, I support Wales.
I think that he should be regarded as a Rugby Legand, or at least be mentioned somewhere in Rugby History because he is an insiration!!!!!!!
P.S
i)He is a 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000…* player!
ii) and he is really cute!
Hopefully after the Lions tour, everyone’s nice and silenced, I don’t believe people can focus on 1 kick, maybe you only watch 1 or 2 six nations matches a year? and that’s the extent of rugby to you ? Probably, other wise you’d know that not only should Stephen Jones be considered a great Welsh flyhalf, he is obviously the best flyhalf in the northern hemisphere and quite possibly world at the moment and I hate to break it to cymruangel if you’re an International player and first choice Lions first half capable of outperforming 15 South Africans 3 weeks in a row, I think a lot of the world disagrees with you whether he’s world class or not, because his performances at the highest level, is pretty much the definition of the phrase.
IN response to SA having poor a front row..
“lol, What do you expect from a welsh man. Jones is like the Paris Hilton of sports journalism, dont have the talent to actually write, so he scribbles a load of crap on paper to sell more papers. Poor bloke is still sulking after the lions tour, where they lost against the harmless elephants… If it was a front row man doing the writing, then maybe it would have actually meant something”
Ant – I strongly suspect you have the wrong Stepehn Jones. Whilst both are Welsh it seems you have gone for the useless, wannabe English, Souther hemisphere hating journalist. This is the mildly spoken, truly nice current Welsh outside half.
Hi Nick,you are correct,apologies.I was refering to the other tosser who is the sports writer for an English paper,cheers
Who cares.. when he is seriously cute and its a wonderful when he bends over in tight shorts… oh and yes he is a good player because he leads by example and gets the best out of his team mates.
Captains come in different guises, some shout, some sulk and some cajoel but a few great ones lead from the and dont expect their team to do anything they wouldnt do. they treat everyone the same and give everyone an opportunity and look to create better play each and every match. and he is sooooooooooo cute.
stephen jones is the best fly half wales ever had,you cant really compare him with the likes of benny,the game is so much tighter defensively that benny and barry john would not be able to make as many brakes as in their day stephen is far bigger stronger and fitter than them which todays game demands.his game awareness is second to none, goal kicking very good, and got him on all the top 7 lists in rugby,place kicking top draw,and runs the game like no other player can be it for scarlets or wales.james hook is not in the same class as jones and has no idea how to run the game even with the talens hook posesses will never make a fly half in jones’s class.stephen jones is top two in the world, on his best day is the best in world,all southern hemisphere coaches say he’s the best in northen rugby and he is a true welsh rugby ledgend and hero.the day he retires from international rugby will be the biggest loss the welsh team suffer for many years long may he continue.