Lion Head to Heads

This week sees a few lads who are competing for the same first team position going head to head or toe to toe, however you want to put it, they will be on the pitch at the same time.

Great opportunity to work out who's looking good and who is maybe a touch overrated?

Here is a piece from the western mail on Adam Jones (Ospreys) who faces Dan Cole (Tigers) at the liberty this weekend. Both vying for the number three shirt.


IF LIONS coach Warren Gatland is trying to decide who should be his Test tight-head, then he probably need look no further than the Liberty Stadium this weekend.

The two stand-out candidates to wear the No 3 jersey in Australia this summer will be on duty in Swansea on Sunday as the Ospreys lock horns with Leicester in a huge Heineken Cup clash.

In the home camp, there’s Adam Jones, who emerged as the first-choice tight-head on the last Lions tour, to South Africa in 2009.

And in the Tigers’ lair, there’s England regular Dan Cole, whose reputation has steadily grown with his performances for club and country over the past couple of seasons.

They won’t be in direct opposition, but with the scrum likely to be such a key factor in the contest, both men have the chance to lay down a real Lions marker to Mr Gatland.

Of course, Jones’ record speaks for itself, with the 31-year-old already assured of legendary status in Welsh rugby, having won three Grand Slams.

Cole can’t match those stats, but the fact he has only missed one of England’s last 36 Tests reflects the impact he has made since making his debut against Wales at Twickenham in 2010.

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It’s also telling that he is generally preferred to Italy’s Martin Castrogiovanni - one of world rugby’s top tight-heads over the past decade - in the Leicester starting line-up.

So, in a game where so many Lions contenders will be on display, it’s the two opposing number threes who will perhaps be worth watching above all.

Jones will certainly be hoping for a happier afternoon than on his last European encounter with Cole’s Tigers.

Back in October, he was on the receiving end of a 39-22 defeat at Welford Road and, in the process, suffered a knee injury that was to rule him out of Wales’ autumn campaign.

“We've got a bit of history with Leicester,” he said, reflecting on the two teams’ numerous Heineken meetings.

“They've always been tough games. They bring the best out in us and I'm sure we bring the best out of them.”

Jones acknowledges the Ospreys were well below their best in stuttering to an unconvincing 16-15 victory at home to PRO12 bottom side Zebre last Friday and realises they will have to be vastly improved this weekend.

“We were shocking, to be honest,” said the 83-cap front-rower, who was captain for the night.

“We were rubbish and we've said a few home truths

“If we play like that, we're going to get absolutely stuffed.

“I don't think Leicester will hold us in too much fear if they watch a video of that game.

“We've were good against Toulouse in out last Heineken match and we know when we're up there we can match anyone.

“But we are going to get hammered if we turn up like we did on Friday

“We've seriously got to look at ourselves and pull our fingers out, because we know it's going to be ten times harder on Sunday.

“We know what a good side Leicester are and we’ve really got to raise our game.”

As for Cole, he’s equally aware and respectful of the threat posed by the Ospreys in a match both teams are desperate to win.

“They are a good side and have a lot of Welsh players in their set-up,” said the 25-year-old.

“They look to dominate teams with their forwards and have done well in their league.

“Games between our two teams are traditionally tight and I expect this to be the same.

“When you get big sides in the Heineken Cup, there are usually only a few points in it because sides are a bit edgy and evenly-matched and nobody wants to make a mistake.

“It’s a knock-out game after all.

“If we win on Sunday, we have everything to play for. If we lose, we are potentially out of the competition.

“We want a home quarter-final and so we have to win both games.”

Cole is the cornerstone of a scrum that has proved a mighty weapon for Leicester this season, with their top try scorer being penalty tries, six of those coming in their last five matches.

“We do lots of work in the week on the scrum machine and in the video room,” he said.

“There’s not so much live stuff to protect bodies, but we have been hitting the scrum machine this week many times.

“We spend several hours a week focusing solely on the scrum and that is probably more than others do.

“We have had very few players leave the set-up recently and with the continuity we have had in the scrum personnel-wise, things become second nature whether that be front row binds or second-row binds or whatever.

“That makes it easier to work with each other and you can get more out of working with each other because we know each other’s games so well.

“That benefits the whole team.”

On the fitness front, group leaders Leicester are keeping their fingers crossed over Fijian winger Vereniki Goneva, while full-back Matthew Tait is expected to be fine despite breaking his nose in last weekend’s Premiership victory at Worcester.

The Ospreys, who have to win - ideally with a bonus point - to keep alive their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals, have injury doubts over flanker Justin Tipuric and centres Ashley Beck and Andrew Bishop, with Beck, in particular, struggling to make it.

They are already without crocked Wales second rows Ian Evans and Alun Wyn Jones, as well as prop Aaron Jarvis and wing Hanno Dirksen for the Pool 2 showdown.



Read more: Wales Online http://www.walesonline.co.uk/rugbynation/rugby-news/2013/01/11/lions-prop-rivals-adam-jones-and-dan-cole-set-for-titanic-battle-91466-32583990/#ixzz2HfPqeqDv


Polling runs for ten days you can vote before or after the match on Sunday and you can change your vote if you feel you were wrong. ENJOY... This should be a great game.

Big votes for Cole...?

Speaking as a Tigers fan I would have to go with Dan.

This is not as one eyed as you may think. I get to watch him week in week out and apart from being a solid gold scrummager, he is a very fit & strong player who carries well, gets around the park and makes a general nuisance of himself at the breakdown winning a lot of turnovers for us as well as England. A worthy candidate.

Either. Both are class. I'd go with Cole because he does more outside the scrum but is also a great scrummager

Jones seems to have returned pretty well from injury but at the moment I would say Cole is in pole position

Its going to be very interesting, youth vs experience. Great exhibition for both. I am sure both will tour, be surprised to see either usurped before June, though injury may befall.

I voted for Cole because he gives a lot more around the park, as has been mentioned. I suspect there is little in it in the scrum. Cole has been consistent for a long time & crucially hardly ever seems to pick up injuries.

They will both go & both play. I would probably start with Jones but maybe only for 30 mins & give Cole the 'lions share' of the game.

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:I voted for Cole because he gives a lot more around the park, as has been mentioned. I suspect there is little in it in the scrum. Cole has been consistent for a long time & crucially hardly ever seems to pick up injuries.

They will both go & both play. I would probably start with Jones but maybe only for 30 mins & give Cole the 'lions share' of the game.

Either way round they make a formidable match day squad. Two of the best around.

I'm a huge, huge Adam Jones fan and rate him in the top 5 scrummagers in the world (highly subjective obviously as I haven't scrummaged against anyone!). However, one of my biggest frustrations about Adam Jones is his lack of ball carrying. Why a guy of his size can't get trundling along and require a few men to bring him down, I'll never know. He goes to ground so easily. It's as if he's thinking about setting the ball up for the next phase before anyone has even thought about tackling him. I know size isn't everything as you can have some wily little backs who are hard to put down once the legs start pumping, but a big man like him who is used to pushing against another whole pack of men should be able to punch holes and rumble down field over the gain line a lot better than he does IMO. One of his downsides unfortunately, as he is then compared to people who scrummage and carry.

Both should tour, bit of a pointless poll? Why not poll two for every position and 3 for hooker, scrumhalf and flyhalf? Just a suggestion

I just re-watched England v Ireland in the 6N last year. On the strength of that performance (plus club form) it has to be Cole. Best NH prop under 30.

Leicester draw at the Liberty but Ospreys front row completely outplayed Tigers in the loose, Adam Jones was superb.

Scrums on own feed Stats


Ospreys 3 won, 0 lost (100.0%)

Tigers 4 won, 1 lost (80.0%)

Penalties were 11 a piece so even there, mainly scrum or breakdown.

I don't recall Hibbard running with he ball like Youngs. I do recall Adam Jones flailing around for the ball at times.

Slightly one eyed to say that the front row was totally outplayed. I thought Bevington was good in the loose being objective but honours were even.
The ref pinged Cole a couple of times when Hibbard got away with a similar 'steal' at the breakdown.

Did you see the game in the end or are you purely going on stats?

Personally I would choose Cole to start. In the scrum there about the same. Carrying and breakdown I think Cole is ahead.

Tigers lost the first scrum with Jones binding on the arm. After that Tiger took control on the scrum until Cole left the field. Cole was pinged twice for totally legal steals and again on a 50/50 call that he'd have probably been given in the AP, Cole was hitting as many rucks as Tipuric he had a very good game. He was head and shoulders over Adam Jones today.

Hibbard had a good game as did Tom Youngs, plenty of positives for Lions front row options, Lions options not numbered 1 to 3 bot so good.

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:I don't recall Hibbard running with he ball like Youngs. I do recall Adam Jones flailing around for the ball at times.

Slightly one eyed to say that the front row was totally outplayed. I thought Bevington was good in the loose being objective but honours were even.
The ref pinged Cole a couple of times when Hibbard got away with a similar 'steal' at the breakdown.

Did you see the game in the end or are you purely going on stats?

I found a link and watched it.

These are the stats from the game in progress, they're liable to change when reviewed on Monday:


Cole/Jones

Minutes Played 59/80
Carries 3/2
Metres 5/2
Defenders Beaten 1/0
Tackles Made 9/5
Tackles Mssed 0/1
Penalties Conceded 2/2


Youngs/Hibbard

Minutes Played 68/59
Carries 2/8
Metres 17/4
Clean Breaks 1/0
Defenders Beaten 1/0
Offloads 0/1
Turnovers Conceded 0/1
Tackles Made 9/3
Tackles Mssed 1/0
Penalties Conceded 0/1


Ayerza/Hibbard

Minutes Played 59/74
Carries 4/5
Metres 5/7
Offloads 2/1
Turnovers Conceded 0/1
Tackles Made 5/6
Tackles Mssed 0/1
Penalties Conceded 1/3