Welsh Rugby
Alun Wyn Jones - Wales captaincy talk is 'arrogant'
ESPN Staff
August 9, 2013
Alun Wyn Jones is likely to be in the captaincy mix alongside Sam Warburton © PA Photos
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Alun Wyn Jones has labelled any talk of him taking on the Welsh captaincy as "arrogant" and claims he is focused on just making the starting line-up.

Jones captained the British & Irish Lions in their series-clinching third Test against the Wallabies and was one of the tourist's top players throughout the tour. But despite his heroics and impressive leadership skills, Jones has played down any notion that he will step straight into the Welsh side as captain come the autumn Tests.

Wales are currently without a confirmed skipper. Gethin Jenkins captained them in the final match of the Six Nations with Sam Warburton opting against taking the honour but coach Warren Gatland is yet to reveal his hand but Jones is adamant he has not given the honour any thought.

"That is not for me to decide," Jones told Wales Online. "It's everyone's ambition to play for his country, irrelevant of whether you are captain you are a necessary foot soldier.

 
You can't dwell on your success, because it's short lived and if you do go down that road you won't have any future success
 

"You have to be picked in the squad first before anyone can comment on the captaincy. It's arrogant if you talk about that before selection. It doesn't matter whether you have an armband on or are carrying a title.

"I just want to be back in the fold and playing for the Ospreys and Wales. There are no guarantees after coming off a Lions tour because you can have physical and mental fatigue.

"If that affects me early in the season and I don't make the Ospreys' squad then I won't be able to put my hand up for the Welsh jersey. I always tell people that my ambition at the start of every season is to pull on the black Ospreys jersey, be able to play and get a run of form. If you do that you put your hand up for selection in the red jersey."

The Ospreys start their new campaign against Treviso and Jones claims any celebrations from the summer's victorious tour to Australia will be nothing more than a distant memory. Jones added: "All the congratulations are very flattering. The squad did very well and we were proud of what we achieved, but you can't dwell on the success you have had.

"There's a lot of rugby to be played over the next 10 months, and before we know it, another World Cup year will be upon us. There are going to be more autumns, more injuries and you just have to get on with that. That's what I'm conscious of. I'm not trying to be negative or downplay the achievement, but you have to move on.

"It's like rule changes. If you don't abide by them, you get left behind. I'm very conscious the same applies with personal performance. You can't dwell on your success, because it's short lived and if you do go down that road you won't have any future success."

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