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Rugby Union

Jones fit for World Cup

01/08/2007

Wales fly-half and captain Stephen Jones has been given the all-clear to travel to the Rugby World Cup next month after scans on his injured groin revealed he would not require surgery.

Jones suffered the injury during a training camp in the French city of Nantes last week and it had been feared he would need surgery to repair what looked to be a torn muscle.

However scan results showed the problem is no more than a partial tear to a tendon and he would not need to go under the knife and should return to full-contact training by the end of the month.

"This is magnificent news for us and just the tonic we need as we prepare for our warm-up games against England this week and Argentina and France at the Millennium Stadium later this month," said Wales head coach Gareth Jenkins.

"Stephen is very much the lifeblood of this squad. He is a key leader and vital to us not just because of his rugby experience and what he offers on the pitch, but because of the impact he makes on the squad throughout our time together.

"He displays the sort of attitude that is reflective of the positive, enthusiastic and professional mood in the squad we have assembled – just the spirit we hope to take into the World Cup."

Team physiotherapist Mark Davies added that while the injury certainly rules him out of the warm-up games in August, it is unlikely to cause him any problems once Wales' first game comes around.

"The injury does mean he will take no part in the… summer series matches against France and Argentina at the Millennium Stadium this month, but he should be back to his best by the end of the month," he said.

"Stephen is an important part of this squad, he is more than used to the kind of rehabilitation programme we will put him under and we are confident he can get back to 100 per cent fitness."

If full-fit, Jones is a certainty for Jenkins' 30-man squad for the showpiece event in France.

However he faces a battle with emerging youngster James Hook to make the starting XV at stand-off, after the Ospreys player made a blistering start to his international career at his favoured position of fly-half when Jones was injured during the 2007 Six Nations.

Hook scored 22 of Wales' 27 points and the man-of-the-match award as they beat England in Cardiff in the final game of the competition.

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