Huw Jones knows just what it feels like to be debating Lions squad selection with friends, so being on the other side of the discussion tastes that little bit sweeter.
The Glasgow Warriors and Scotland centre was just 11 years old when The British & Irish Lions toured New Zealand in 2005, playing club rugby at Canterbury in Kent.
And when he was not out training, he spent most of that period working out who should make the cut for Sir Clive Woodward’s touring squad.
Two decades on, he was the one sweating on selection before hearing that he had been picked for his first Lions Tour, heading to Australia this summer.
Jones explained: “It’s the pinnacle of rugby for me. I am a rugby fan, I grew up obsessed with rugby. I’ve been watching the Lions for years and years, those have been my rugby heroes, my whole life. To now be named in that squad, it’s such a special moment for me.
“It popped into my head that I think before the 2005 Tour, I would have been 11 and I remember with my mate that we used to play club rugby together, his dad would take us to the games and we would spend hours naming our squads and thinking who should be in.
“To be on the other side of that conversation and be involved is such a special feeling.
“I’ll ring my mate and say ‘do you remember that? How cool that was.’ It’s been a dream for such a long time. In the last year or so, it’s only really become a goal very recently. To achieve that is the pinnacle of the sport.
“We’re still family friends, I don’t speak to him regularly but we’re still good mates. “He’s a doctor and I’m pretty sure he works in Australia so I’ll need to phone him and check. It would be pretty cool if I get to see him out there. It would be quite a nice moment.”
Now 31, Jones knew that this was his best chance to make it on a Lions Tour, with injury and loss of form counting against him on each of the previous two.
A finger injury had limited his availability since the Six Nations, but his performances over the last 18 months had made him a strong contender.
Getting the timing right is a big part of making it onto a Lions Tour, but it did also make for a nervy Thursday when the announcement was made.
He explained: “Even my wife, I could tell she was nervous. When I left the house, she hugged me extra tight and getting into training, all the boys were just asking me if I was nervous so you can’t avoid thinking about it.
“I just feel really relieved. In my head, I wanted it to be over and done with either way, so I could just stop thinking about it. This is obviously way better than the other option.
“In terms of my career, especially international career, there have been a fair few ups and downs. I made my debut in 2016 and I was actually injured in 2017, I got injured in the last game of the Six Nations, so I knew I was completely out for that one. Then, I would have been considered a bolter. I wasn’t really kind of worried about it back then.
“Then in 2021, I was injured again but hadn’t been featuring much, I’d played in the Six Nations but on the bench mainly. So those two previous times, I wasn’t sat in the room sweating like I was this time. A lot of it is down to timing and being on form at the right time, and fit at the right time. I feel really thankful to the medical team, to the coaches who have been selecting me for the last couple of seasons that I’ve got myself into a position to be fit and play well to put myself in that picture.
“It’s only become a goal very recently, it never felt realistic before, especially when I was out of the Scotland squad and it felt like my international career was over. To get to this point is amazing and I’m very aware of how up and down careers can be, so it’s amazing that I’ve reached a new peak.”
What makes it all the sweeter is that Jones will head out to Australia with a trio of Glasgow teammates, forwards Zander Fagerson and Scott Cummings, and centre partner Sione Tuipulotu.
The pair have struck up a productive partnership on the pitch, for club, country and now potentially Lions, while also being very close off it.
Jones added: “When Sione’s name got read out, I was so happy for him, but also for the two of us. A real special moment for us.
“We’ve only been playing together for a couple of years now but we gelled so quickly, firstly off the pitch because we met at an end-of-season social when I was leaving and he was joining. Then, once I came back, we hit it off really well.
“It’s been great ever since, he’s such a good player, he reads the game really well and he’s a joy to play with. He does so much and I am able to react to that and try to help him out as well. I know how much he has been thinking about this recently. I feel like I’m less of a thinker than him so I’ve been able to put it to the back of my mind. It was out of his hands but testament to him as a player, you can’t leave him out.”
Andy Farrell certainly agreed, and also knew that he could not leave out Jones. Two decades on from trying to come up with his own dream Lions squad, the Scotland centre is ready to take centre stage on his own Tour.
