Ospreys’ Ryan Jones set to make first start since injury on Friday
Ryan Jones is finally ready to take another big step in his recovery from a serious off-season knee surgery. Jones is preparing to start on Friday for his club, the Ospreys, as they get set to take on the
London Irish.
The Welsh international has been sidelined since June, and has thus far only been able to make three appearances off the bench for his club. His coach, Jonathan Humphreys, hasn’t felt Jones is ready to start
for his club until now.
"We feel he is right to start, or to get more game time as he is doing right now," Humphreys told the BBC.
He further said he’d been keeping Jones on the bench while Jonathan Evans held down his spot in the number eight position, but that Jones could be getting his spot back permanently.
"Jonathan is going well at eight but that is no reason to say that at some point we won't put Ryan back at eight. Jonathan has done nothing wrong at number eight. He's been one of our best performers,” said
Humphreys.
"But that has been backed up by the fact that Ryan hasn't had a pre-season because of his leg."
The club’s fixture will be their match thus far in the Heineken Cup, the largest pan-European rugby union club competition. In their first match they fell 19-14 to Toulon. They’ve fared better in the Great
Britain and Ireland-based Magners League, where they sit at fifth of the 12-team table with three wins and two losses.
Coach Humphreys is backing Jones to regain some of his old top form to help his club do better, but he’s stopped short of guaranteeing that Jones’s return to the starting line-up will be permanent one.
"It's been a difficult time for him in terms of that injury. A bone bruise on the leg is a big one to overcome," he said.
"He is a very positive influence coming off the bench and we'll determine over the next couple of days whether he starts or runs the same role again for us."
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