Wales captain Stephen Jones has been stunned at the level of personal criticism he has endured since leading the team during their 21-9 Six Nations defeat away to Scotland earlier this month.
That result left Wales with a record of played two, lost two in this season's Six Nations after a 19-9 defeat against Ireland at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
To make matters worse, for all the talk of the "Welsh Way" of running, attacking rugby espoused by under-pressure coach Gareth Jenkins, Wales have now gone two games without a try.
PHOTO: AP
Only Italy's inferior points difference is keeping Wales off the bottom of the table and, on Saturday, Jones's men have the daunting task of attempting to record their first win of this Six Nations against leaders and reigning champions France in Paris.
In the only country in Europe where it is not unusual for rugby union, rather than soccer, to dominate the sports pages, Wales's form in general and Jones's in particular has come under intense scrutiny.
Although the outside-half has kicked all of Wales's points thus far in this Six Nations, a fans' poll in the Western Mail, the national daily newspaper of Wales, suggested he should be dropped in favor of the talented James Hook.
PHOTO: AP
Currently playing in midfield for Wales, Hook starred at No. 10 when replacing the injured Jones during a thrilling 29-29 draw against Australia at the Millennium Stadium last November.
The Murrayfield match was Wales's fifth defeat in eight Tests and meant they hadn't beaten a major nation since defeating Scotland a year ago -- then coach Mike Ruddock's final game before his shock resignation.
Jones, however, insisted Wales could bounce back.
"The criticism is frustrating from a personal aspect and from a team perspective. I was out of Wales for two years [playing for France's Clermont] and you sometimes forget how much rugby is in the spotlight here. It has been a bit of an eye-opener to be honest," he said.
"We realize there is a huge responsibility that goes with playing for Wales and you have to live up to that responsibility," insisted Jones, installed as captain for the World Cup in France in September by Jenkins even before the start of the Six Nations.
"We have a tough challenge now against France and we have got to make Welsh rugby proud again. The Scotland game was particularly poor but we have a lot of talent in the side and if we play to our potential we will score tries," Jones said.
Jenkins, backed by the Welsh Rugby Union after they received complaints from angry fans about players being allowed a night out in Edinburgh, insisted Llanelli's Jones wouldn't buckle under the pressure and neither would he.
"Stephen is a quality man. I haven't had to keep his chin up. He is very realistic and he's managing himself very well," Jenkins said.
And as for questioning of his selection and tactics, former Llanelli coach Jenkins said it came as part of the job.
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
Aaliyah Edwards on Monday pulled off the stunner of the opening round of the Unrivaled one-on-one tournament, beating top-seeded Breanna Stewart 12-0. The tournament to be played over three days featured 23 of the WNBA’s 36 players. A few had other commitments and a couple others were out with injuries. Stewart got the ball first against Edwards and missed a contested layup. Edwards then hit a three-pointer from the corner and a jumper from the elbow to go up 5-0. The player who scores keeps the basketball. Edwards hit two layups and a three-pointer to seal the win. Stewart, a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player,
SPEEDSKATER: Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s run at the Asian Winter Games without a medal since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990 Speedskater Chen Ying-chu yesterday made history as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games. Competing at the HIC Speedskating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.510 seconds in the women’s 100m event, finishing third behind South Koreans Lee Na-hyum and Kim Min-sun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds respectively. Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990. This year’s Games mark Chen’s debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speedskating, she won six medals at world championships before transitioning
The 40-year-old LeBron James on Thursday became the oldest player to score 40 points in an NBA game, putting up a season-high 42 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors. James passed the record held by Michael Jordan, his idol and the only other NBA player to score 40 after his 40th birthday. “I’m old, that’s my take,” James said when asked about his latest achievement. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep, that’s what I think.” Jordan did it for the Washington Wizards just three days after turning 40 in February 2003. James is 38
RSS