S2 Ep33: Alun of Wales

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

You're listening to The Good, Don't Call Me Payno, The Bad, Absolute P***s, and The Rugby, Folded Like A Deckchair, with Payno, Lord, and The Hask.

SPEAKER_2 (0:10)

I don't know what That means.

Alex Payne (0:35)

Hello, everybody, and a very warm welcome to this week's edition of The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, in partnership with our good friends at City Index, the leading provider of spread betting, CFD, and FX trading. We are, would you believe it, still on tour. We're currently in Swansea, in Osprey's territory, in Wales. And when you throw in the lines, that can mean that there is only one man to interview in this part of the world, a man who's been on our interview bucket list for a number of years.

It is the one, the only, Alun Wyn Jones. Enjoy a full and very varied conversation with the most capped player in international rugby of all time. It's an absolute peach.

Well, if the mountain won't come to Mohammed, the three Mohammeds have come to the mountain. We're in Wales country, which means we are?

James Haskell (1:17)

In Swansea. With Alan from Wales.

Alex Payne (1:21)

I prefer Alan of Wales, because it's a bit more like Owen of Glendower. Yes.

James Haskell (1:24)

If you just rename it...

Alex Payne (1:26)

Glendur. Glendur, sorry. A good attempt though.

James Haskell (1:28)

Not really.

Alex Payne (1:29)

No, okay. How are you?

Alun Wyn Jones (1:31)

Yeah, good.

Had a few runs now with the Ospreys. We've got one left and hopefully have a look at the summer, but good and enjoying time with the family.

Alex Payne (1:43)

Normally at this stage of the season, players begin to look quite hangdog, but actually you're looking well.

Alun Wyn Jones (1:48)

Yeah.

Alex Payne (1:48)

Colour in the chops.

Alun Wyn Jones (1:49)

Yeah. I said earlier, it's the Welsh sun, but probably not for the right reasons.

Obviously a bit of a layoff over Christmas with a few...

SPEAKER_6 (1:59)

Tactical, yeah.

Alun Wyn Jones (2:01)

Unfortunately not as well, but...

James Haskell (2:03)

I didn't say that, but obviously...

Alun Wyn Jones (2:04)

With a few others, my arm fell off again, didn't it? So, you know, I had to get it glued back on and now I'm just enjoying being back out there to be honest.

Alex Payne (2:13)

You mentioned the arm, et cetera.

James Haskell (2:14)

Is it all right?

Alun Wyn Jones (2:16)

Yeah, it's the perks of the job, isn't it? But obviously it was a lot said and mooted about it, but eventually once it came out the second time, I had to go get it done. So, what did they do?

Well, if you want the full story, it actually went out in 17, but it went capsular. So it was like into the armpit and then against Japan, it went out and then it went out again against New Zealand. So I had a couple of ops.

James Haskell (2:42)

Sounds like Tinds on this tour.

Alun Wyn Jones (2:45)

So I just went in and had a couple of ops to shore it up to, you know, probably should have been done a while ago, but you know, between 17 and 21 is four years. So you think you've dodged a bullet, but obviously not.

James Haskell (2:57)

We were talking in the car actually.

I'm writing things for most part of your career. You've been pretty bulletproof, haven't you?

Alun Wyn Jones (3:04)

I've had, you know, just in case.

James Haskell (3:06)

Don't talk yourself up too much, but read between the lines, yes.

Alun Wyn Jones (3:09)

You know, I have been fortunate. I like to think you make your own luck as well.

You know, live the professional thing. I don't know if it's cliched, and you know, you wanted me to check a few ways.

James Haskell (3:18)

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_6 (3:18)

First one.

James Haskell (3:19)

The first medium one for the handbook.

Alun Wyn Jones (3:21)

No, I have been lucky as well. I'm not going to deny that. And there's, you know, I look around the room sometimes in some squads and teams, and there's guys that are far worse, you know, injuries and come back. And, you know, it gets a bit tiresome when people tell you what you should and shouldn't be doing and where you should be, but ultimately you head down and get on with it.

Mike Tindall (3:38)

I mean, obviously your flexibility game is good, because you can do the splits.

Alun Wyn Jones (3:42)

It's, you know, it's important to have a party trick, isn't it?

James Haskell (3:45)