Huw Jones on impact of 2019 Rugby World Cup snub: ‘I'm a better player and a more resilient person’

Huw Jones was the big-name omission from Scotland’s last World Cup squad and the Glasgow Warriors centre jokes he suffered PTSD while waiting for the call from Gregor Townsend this time around.

Centre Huw Jones during Scotland's Rugby World Cup squad announcement at South Queensferry. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

Happily for Jones, when the phone rang it was good news and the contrast with 2019 couldn’t have been starker. Edinburgh-born Jones, now 29, had burst onto the Test scene in 2016, scoring 10 tries in his first 14 Scotland appearances, including back-to-back doubles against England in 2017 and 2018. But his form dipped the following season and Townsend opted for Duncan Taylor, Sam Johnson, Pete Horne and Chris Harris as his centres for the World Cup in Japan. Jones took it on the chin, worked hard at his game and gradually worked his way back into Townsend’s plans. That’s not to say he wasn’t nervous as he waited for the Scotland coach to ring.

“PTSD from four years ago!” he laughs. “No, it was actually fine. Gregor called and said, ‘look, you’re in - well done’. It was great to find out. And my wife was at home so I went and told her and she was happy and relieved. Then I told my parents and they were chuffed.

"It was a case of don’t get your hopes up, just get your head down and work as hard as you can and when you get the opportunity try to play well,” he says. “Obviously four years ago it was really disappointing so to get the call this time to say that I was going was a really nice moment.”

Jones was an ever-present in this season’s Six Nations as he partnered friend and team-mate Sione Tuipulotu in the midfield and it would be a huge surprise if he didn’t start Scotland’s World Cup opener against South Africa in Marseille on Sunday. The final warm-up game against Georgia last weekend was his 39th game for Scotland, quite an achievement for someone who did not follow the traditional route into the pro game. After leaving school he went to South Africa on a gap year and ended up playing university rugby in Cape Town. His rise was rapid and he was picked up by Western Province before making the leap into Super Rugby with the Stormers. Scotland eventually cottoned on and the call-up came but it was quite a journey.

“Ten years ago I would have been one year out of school and at that point professional rugby wasn’t really an option,” he reflected. “I hadn’t been involved in any academies or representative rugby. I think my career as a whole has been a pretty cool journey, slightly unconventional probably but I’ve massively enjoyed it. I’ve had big highs and a lot of lows, like not getting to the last World Cup, but I probably wouldn’t change anything.

“Four years ago, not getting to that World Cup made me work a lot harder and improve areas of my game and I’m probably thankful for it. It’s made me a better player and a more resilient person as well. So when I think about where I am today, I’m in a good spot and really looking forward to this challenge.”