Scarlets coach Mark Jones backs Jonathan Davies to shine on world stage ...

Warren Gatland’s “gutsy” decision to pick Jonathan Davies ahead of Brian O’Driscoll for the Lions series decider last month was vindicated.

That’s the message from the Scarlets camp after they addressed the issue for the first time since centre Davies shut up knockers from Ireland and England by producing a sublime performance as the Lions inflicted a humiliating, record 41-16 defeat on the Aussies.

Backs coach at Parc y Scarlets, Mark Jones, extolled Davies’ virtues, and while his support for one of his own players is no surprise, the former Wales wing has formerly criticised Davies publicly.

Jones questioned the centre’s passing skills after Davies performed poorly for Wales in the Six Nations opening defeat against Ireland last February.

But he’s singing from a different song-sheet after what the threequarter produced in Australia.

“As far as I knew Jon Davies had the No.13 jersey in most of the games that he played in and he did very, very well,” said Jones.

“Mr Gatland had a decision to make come the third Test and he choose to keep Jon in that 13 jersey.

“What a gutsy decision and it proved to be a very good decision in the end because the team won by 40 points.

“I have been a huge advocate of Jon Davies regardless of what you might have read over the last season.

“I can’t give the guy enough plaudits. He’s a top professional, he leads from example week-in, week-out, he played the most minutes for us last season of our international players, his performances were of a high level week-in, week-out, he is born and bred in the region.

“Jon Davies is a tremendous player and he’s a pleasure to work with. Hopefully, he’ll be here for ever and a day.

“You can’t be a professional sportsman and not come across any criticism like you can’t be a professional coach without any criticism. It comes with the territory.

“Having had that little bit of criticism, what a way to respond, the only way that Jon knows, and that’s to get back out on the training field with his team-mates and coaches and work on the areas he feels can move him on as a player.”

Scarlets backs coach Mark Jones

 

Lions coach Gatland, who retakes charge of Wales next season following his sabbatical, had been blasted by the likes of former Ireland skipper and ex-Lions star Keith Wood in the build-up to the Sydney showdown for retaining Davies and not O’Driscoll as partner to the fit-again Jamie Roberts.

The furore has refused to die down since the tour despite the Lions returning home with a priceless first series triumph since Wood and company conquered South Africa in 1997.

Ireland great Paul O’Connell, who led the Lions in South Africa four years ago and was an integral part of Gatland’s team in Australia until breaking an arm in the opening Test, said: “I was shocked and disappointed.

“I thought Brian was playing well. If you look at the first two Tests there wasn’t a whole lot of quality ball given to the back-line.

“Apart from George North, who had a ball kicked down his throat and created an unbelievable try, there weren’t any backs that stood out.

“So it’s hard to fathom the logic behind the decision, certainly from my point of view.

“After playing so long with him you end up being a bit of a fan. I wouldn’t say it took the gloss off it a little bit for me, but it probably did.

“It’s a shame he wasn’t out there. Even going on the bus with him; I was injured and there were other guys resigned to the fact that they weren’t on the team.

“It just felt wrong that he was on the bus with the non-playing squad, not in the 23.”

Wood had branded Gatland’s decision to drop injury-prone 34-year-old veteran O’Driscoll a “terrible mistake”.

Gatland shocked the rugby world outside of Wales by ditching the Ireland centre from his matchday 23 even though O’Driscoll had been widely expected by many to lead the side in the absence of injured skipper Sam Warburton.

In a wide-ranging attack on Gatland’s tactics, style and methods, Wood branded the Lions “low on subtlety”, and claimed the New Zealander had devalued the Lions’ traditions and the role of the captain.

He had blasted: “I have felt uncomfortable for an awful lot of this tour.

“We’re not seeing the blend of four teams – that’s what the Lions is about, that’s what makes it phenomenal.”

“I just feel it’s been incredibly hard watching because we’re not seeing that spark that we’re used to seeing from the Lions.

“They’re trying to play a game plan that I don’t know suits an awful lot of the players.

“It suits the Welsh players. It’s very frustrating – it’s really, really frustrating.”

Jones believes Davies will give the Scarlets a huge boost when he returns to training at their Llanelli base ahead of their RaboDirect Pro12 kick-off against Leinster.

“He’s coming back into the group as a Lions series winner and you can only imagine the effect he’s going to have on the group when he arrives back,” said the former Wales wing.

“He’ll be huge for us this year, I’m sure. He’s a top-class player, he’s a top bloke.

“You are not a top-class athlete unless you are driven.”

Scarlets coach Mark Jones backs Jonathan Davies to shine on world stage ...