UR TV CAST

Believe me.” As an exile who plays at Clermont Auvergne, Jones is in a good position to advise on Wales’ chances of beating France “I honestly think we can do it,” he said. Like on a Sunday morning after a game all your individual contributions will be there on video and he will sit with you and go through everything. He might say ‘this is what you’re doing wrong, you’re catching the ball here [motioning to the left of his body] rather than here [motioning right] and because of that you’re putting pressure on the guys outside’. He’s instilled a work ethic and done so much from a skills point of view and [in] showing us the importance of doing our homework “His attention to detail is incredible.

But it is a reciprocal love affair, as Johnson displayed yesterday when staying largely loyal to the side which all but capitulated five days ago (the changes coming in the back row where Colin Charvis has won a “a well-earned rest ” and Alix Popham brought in at No 8 to shift Michael Owen to the flank). Perhaps that is what draws the players to him, although Jones was quick to highlight the technical reasons. “Scott’s educated us since he joined us four years ago,” he explained “We were millions of miles off things then. I would honestly say he’s the best coach I’ve ever worked with.” It has become a common entreaty from the squad, whose devotion to this strange Sydneysider has been almost Moonie-like of late.

But in contrast, these boys in red are dreading what now appears to be an inevitable farewell. “It would be a huge, huge blow as that would mean we’ve lost our whole coaching set-up a year before the World Cup.” And to those who insist that Wales would have more chance in 2007 without Johnson? “All I can say is they’re wrong Very, very wrong This man’s a one-off. As the day approaches when Ruddock’s “emergency ” replacement will announce whether he will stay in Wales or leave for the No 2 job in his homeland, the players are getting as excitable as the rest of Wales. So stop criticising them.” When Jones said “them” he meant Scott Johnson and this latest show of “player power” – in the verbal sense only – was undoubtedly on the Australian’s behalf. But that’s nothing to do with the coaches, that’s down to individuals. No, Stephen Jones marched in yesterday and all but grabbed his nemesis by the scruff of the neck.
“Why is everything you write negative, eh?” he said, pointing at the startled local reporter.