Product Description

Since making his national debut in 1998, Stephen Jones has emerged from the shadows of the true greats of Welsh rugby, such as Barry John, Phil Bennett, Jonathan Davies and Neil Jenkins, to make the fly-half position his own. In this revealing autobiography, he provides a rare insight into the demands and pressures of wearing the almost mythical No.10 jersey that has such a pre-eminent status in the Welsh psyche. As well as playing an integral role in Wales' two Grand Slam victories, Jones has appeared in three rugby world cups and was part of the 2005 British and Irish Lions squad. He has witnessed first-hand how Welsh rugby establishment has struggled with the transition to professionalism, and in this candid memoir he recounts the many highs he has experienced, as well as the challenges he has faced, though out his career so far. Jones gives an intriguing account of how he became one of the few Welsh players to play in France, recalling the brutality of the game there and how he became a cult figure amongst fans of Clermont Auvergne, where he was twice voted fly-half of the season. In "Stephen Jones: The Autobiography", the Welsh rugby star reveals how his steely resolve, utter determination and sheer passion for rugby have allowed him bounce back from numerous setbacks to become one of the most popular and respected figures in the game today.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1590 in Books
• Published on: 2009-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

About the Author
Stephen Jones was born in Aberystwyth in 1977 and currently plays fly-half for Llanelli Scarlets and Wales. Simon Roberts writes on rugby for Media Wales.

Customer Reviews

A great story from an intelligent and gifted athlete
I found Stephen Jones' story a really interesting read. The chapters on France and the first chapter on Ray Gravell are possibly my favourite but all of the book is interesting and has a different approach to most rugby books as there's less emphasis on specific games and more about Steve's thoughts and reflections on the world of rugby and his particular approach to the game. He is also quite honest in his appraisal of his ability as a rugby player and especially in his early days as an international. Despite the high regard in which he's held - as a 'thinking Rugby player' - Jones comes over as extraordinarily determined but also thoughtful and self-deprecating. There could have been a bit more about the Grand Slam games but how the squad came together and their approach in 2005 and 2008 is all covered. All in all an excellent book with a refreshing perspective to that in the average autobiography. Definitely worth a read!

Workaday!
You wonder just how committed a player is going to be to a project like this when they still have a good couple of years left at the top level in rugby. There's a lot of enjoyable material about Steve's West Wales upbringing, the science of playing fly-half and especially about his time in France.

But SJ gets very tight-lipped about the 2005 Grand Slam and the fiasco that followed it - Mike Ruddock gets hardly any credit, unlike Scott Johnson and Steve Hansen. SJ also is very defensive about Gareth Jenkins, understandably. So the meat of Steve's international career between 2003-2007 is never really brought to life.

All in all, a decent read but probably should have been delayed a couple of years until after Jones' career had finished.

A rugby biography for true rugby people
I finished this book in only three nights of bedtime reading, burning the midnight oil as I wanted to keep learning. Learning being the right word; to see what makes a top player tick and what they are truly thinking when lining up a make or break shot at goal. Fascinating to know the truth!!

The book is easy to read and no chapter dwelled too long on a topic. What was refreshing in this book was the fact that it is full of rugby and tactical philosophies. So many of the rugby autobiographies I have read don't have much about the game in. As an avid rugby fan and amateur player this went a step further and the chapter on playing fly half was particularly inspiring. It makes it all sound so simple yet of course we know it is not. I won't break down Stephen's secrets here, suffice to say that any fy half or thinking back should read this book and probably some props too ;-)

Thoroughly recommend for the rugby knowledge alone but clearly this bloke is a cracking guy with no enemies and only friends throughout the world. On the downside I think I would have liked to see more of the amusing anecdotes but that is a bit shallow of me I know, just my taste....

Buy it.