New Harlequins prop Wyn Jones says he feels in the same physical shape now as when he was picked for the British and Irish Lions. Jones, 32, was the starting Lions loose-head in the final Test against the Springboks in 2021. Three years later, the Wales prop was left looking for a club after leaving Scarlets at the end of last season.
Harlequins came calling with England prop Joe Marler missing the start of the 2024-25 campaign because of injury. Jones jumped at the chance as he joined Quins at the same time as Leigh Halfpenny with fellow Welsh internationals Jarrod Evans and Dillon Lewis already at the Stoop. "It all happened pretty quickly but I've had a great welcome here," said Jones.
"It always had to be the right place for me and as soon as I heard about Harlequins, it was a definite yes. "I'm enjoying it as much as ever, that's the main thing. "I always said if I don't enjoy it, I'll stop playing.
With the extended break and how good I feel, I've got no niggles and just want to play rugby now." Jones left the Llanelli-based side where he played 136 times and helped them win the Pro12 title in 2017. "I'd been there a long time," said Jones.
"A lot of things had changed. I just wanted a new challenge and a change." Jones will be looking to return to the form which saw him named recognised by the Lions in 2021.
He was named in the starting line-up for the first Test before having to withdraw with injury. Jones recovered in time to start the third and final Test in Cape Town where the Lions were beaten 19-16 as the Springboks claimed a series victory. He admits he should have taken a break after that tour to heal some long-standing injuries but instead continued playing.
"It's been tough since then, I've gone from knock to knock," said Jones. "In that third Lions Test, I was nowhere near fit probably, but it's a game you can't turn down. "It was still 100% the right decision to play, but probably after that game, I should have put my hands up and said I'm not fit to play for a bit, I probably battled on a bit.
"Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I should have had a few months out to sort my back and shoulder out. "From what I've learned, I would probably put my hands up and say I'm at 50%, there's no point in me playing. "That's been the frustrating factor but now I feel as good as I did before going on the Lions tour.
" Jones remains eligible for Wales after playing 48 times for his country but has not figured since the Six Nations defeat against France in Paris in March 2023 and was overlooked for the World Cup. Fellow loose-heads Nicky Smith and Rhys Carre are also out of favour with Warren Gatland and have left Wales sides to join Leicester and Saracens respectively. Jones insists he retains Wales ambitions.
"They'll always remain as long as I play," said Jones. "As a player, you always want to perform to the highest standard you can. "The day I don't want want to do that is the day I'll hang my boots up.
" Jones will be helped in this quest by former Wales and Lions prop Adam Jones who is now the Harlequins scrummaging coach. "He is someone I'd grown up watching a lot and admired when he was playing for Wales," said Jones. "Having come up here and working alongside him now, I've been impressed with how he works and coaches.
"I can't speak highly enough of the welcome he's given us, his coaching style and the way he is with the boys. "He's friends with everyone. It's a tough art for a coach to be able to do both, but it's impressive how he manages it and gets the best out of everyone.
" One thing Jones has been able to do at Harlequins which he was not able to do at Scarlets is regular practice scrummaging. Jones says this is not possible within the Welsh squads because of the lack of numbers. "We've got at least three packs training here all the time and can do plenty of reps," said Jones.
"We have full scrum sessions where you hit 12, 15 or 20 if you want to. "That's a luxury you haven't got at the regions. You either hit the machine or five-on-fives if you can, if you have enough personnel to do so.
"I speak to some of the boys now back in Wales and I don't think they've done many live scrums because they haven't got the numbers. "To be able to do them here with such quality around you is a big difference and that was why basically I wanted to come here.".
