“HE PROVES CONCLUSIVELY THAT LEADERS ARE BORN”

Age 33 (19 September 1985) Position Lock

ONE OF the finest Grand Slams, and also one of the loudest and longest post-Slam celebrations. The Principality Stadium has become patchy in terms of unity and volume of support; there has been talk that the place has been infiltrated by eventers, scene-makers. There is nothing wrong with this – rugby cannot exist if only diehard rugby fans attend matches – but surely only the diehards could have produced the kind of thunderous intensity that enveloped proceedings after Wales won the third Grand Slam of the Warren Gatland era back in March.

And in the greatest of all team sports, surely no one objected for a second if one member of the Wales team was singled out post-match. ‘Green giants reduced to rubble by grand master Alun Wyn Jones,’ said The Sunday Times.

The tributes rumbled on, after Jones had played