The Heineken Cup is now in its 18th season, and few players have had a longer career in Europe’s premier competition than Welsh out-half Stephen Jones.
By Declan Whooley
The Llanelli, Clermont and Wasps number 10 has appeared in 15 of those seasons, and missed out this year as Wasps were in the Amlin Cup, while his first year in France was also spent in the secondary competition before the French giants turned into the force they are today.
Perhaps the biggest compliment you could pay the out-half is that only Ronan O’Gara has scored more, and with 869 points to his name, he has more than 200 to spare over his nearest rival, Dimitri Yachvili.
While he may be best remembered in these parts as the man whose penalty thankfully dropped inches short during the Six Nations game in Cardiff that ensured Grand Slam success in 2009, his international career has been the envy of many. A record number of caps for his country (104), two Lions tours and three Grand Slams is a testament to his international career, while his club career has been equally impressive, if not a little lighter on the silverware front.
His first appearance in the European Cup was during the second season of the competition, scoring a try in his only appearance that campaign.
The 1999/00 season, the year Munster agonisingly lost to Northampton in the final, would prove to be his most successful campaign in front of the posts, as he scored 112 points as Scarlets lost to the eventual winners by three points at the penultimate stage, the closest he would get to Heineken silverware.
In action against Bath in 2002
After eight Heineken Cup seasons in row, Jones missed the 2005/06 campaign after his switch to French side Clermont, who were competing in the Amlin Challenge Cup at the time. He only had two seasons with the big-spending French outfit, but certainly left his mark. The second season he was back in the Heineken Cup and the French press voted him as the out-half of the season domestically, but he returned home to further his international career, picking up where he left off at the Scarlets.
After a distinguished career with Llanelli, he decided to try one last playing challenge, moving to Wasps last summer for what has transpired to be his last season as a professional.
The 35 year-old will be remembered as one of the most influential out-halves in the professional era, and is a big loss to the game of rugby.
We wish him well in his final few months as a player before he takes up a coaching role at Wasps.
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