England beware! Jones says Wales' Grand Slam winners have nothing on current crop
Ryan Jones believes that the current Wales side is better than the 2005 and 2008 Grand Slam-winning teams.
Versatile forward Jones captained Wales to their 2008 success and was a part of the side in 2005, but he is confident that coach Warren Gatland's current crop of Dragons can outshine both of those teams.
'This does feel different fundamentally from 2005 and 2008, this one is built on more of a foundation I suppose, the others probably came as a bit of a surprise,' said Jones, speaking ahead of Wales' Six Nations clash with England at Twickenham on Saturday.
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'Warren hadn't been in the position long before 2008 so that was the catalyst for it, whereas now things have been in place for a while and this team is more settled, more comfortable in what they're doing, and as I said there's more of a foundation if you like.'
That foundation was the impressive performance in last year's World Cup, and in particular the performances of several of Wales' young stars, who have continued to impress in the opening two games of the Six Nations – wins over Ireland and Scotland.
Saturday's opponents England went on to win last year's Six Nations after a 26-19 victory in Cardiff, but most neutral observers believe that Wales have since overtaken their old rivals, who now have a young but inexperienced side.
However, the 31-year-old insists England – who scraped past Scotland and Italy in their opening two fixtures – pose a serious threat to Wales' championship ambitions.
'They (England) are a very young and inexperienced team, but there's a beauty to that,' he said.
'They're obviously a very confident team because they're winning games when they arguably haven't played at their best. That's a sign of a good team.
'They're a team which is fundamentally very good, they know how to win rugby matches, the basic structure of their game is very good, and they're going to be very tough to beat on their day.'
For all their plaudits so far in this year's tournament, Wales' lineout has struggled – particularly against Scotland – and it is seen as an area where England can potentially dominate.
But while Jones did not deny Wales' struggles, he played down the importance of the set-piece in modern rugby.
'People's perceptions can be different and inaccurate at times,' he said.
'Some people fail to realise the significance of the lineout is dwindling, the game has evolved.
'The game is not won and lost at set-piece anymore. The relative importance of it has to be put in perspective.'
After struggling with injuries and loss of form for a couple of years, Jones has been enjoying something of a renaissance both for the Ospreys and Wales this season.
Some are arguing that he is in the form of his life, and though Jones does not entirely agree with that statement, he admits he is enjoying himself out on the pitch at the moment.
'All I've ever done is go and play and give my best,' he said. 'It tends to go your way sometimes and sometimes it tends not to, but I'm certainly enjoying my rugby a lot now.
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'I'm just trying to make the most of those experiences and opportunities really, it's nice to be playing relatively injury free and I'm just making the most of opportunities when they arise really.'
Jones' recent form has coincided with a switch to second row, a move necessitated by the loss of Luke Charteris and Alun Wyn Jones to injury and Bradley Davies to suspension.
Fit-again Alun Wyn Jones returns at Twickenham and Ryan will start on the bench.
Despite his recent form in the second row, Jones admits he is still more comfortable playing in the back row, but he says he has reached a level where he is comfortable playing in both positions.
'It can be quite nerve-wracking at times at the top national level drawing on relatively little experience, but if you've got a belief in yourself and you get your fundamentals right it takes care of itself,' said Jones, who was speaking on behalf of SWALEC, who support rugby in the community.
'I am more comfortable in the back row because I've been playing there for years, so a lot of it becomes instinct. You don't have to think about it consciously so much, whereas at second row at the moment it doesn't necessarily come natural to me, so I'm still trying to get on top of that, making sure I'm comfortable with all the skills required and the responsibilities of playing second row.'
He added: 'But I've got to the position where I can turn my hand to both competently and at this level it's what's required.'
Head to head: Tom Croft took on Ryan Jones in a series of challenges
The 2015 World Cup is seen as the pinnacle for this exciting young Welsh side.
With many of the squad in their early and mid-twenties, they will theoretically be reaching their peak around the time of the tournament.
Jones will be a veteran of 34 by that time, but he is confident he can be a key part of this Welsh side for years to come.
'Age is just a number,' he said. 'If you're a young team that's doing well, you're full of youthful exuberance, but if you're a young team that's not doing well you're a young naive team.
'I certainly believe that, as long as you look after yourself and keep yourself fit and playing well then there's no reason you can't be involved whether you're 24 or 34.
'The next World Cup's a long way away and you have to take one campaign at a time, but if I can keep myself playing well and keep myself fit we'll see where we go, but I'm just happy playing rugby.
'I love the big occasion and my dream is to go for as long as my body will let me.'
Ryan Jones is a brand ambassador for SWALEC. To check out Ryan going head to head against England's star flanker Tom Croft in a series of video challenges, head to www.swalec.co.uk/rugby and see who wins!
