Wales Skipper Alun Wyn Jones Named Best Player In Six Nations

Six days after skippering his side to the Six Nations title, the Wales forward Alun Wyn Jones has been voted player of the tournament.

Wales beat the defending champions Ireland 25-7 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on 16 March to win their fifth match of the tournament - the Grand Slam - and lift the crown for the first time since 2013.

Wyn Jones, 33, was part of that victorious squad and he was also in the 2012 and 2008 Grand Slam winning teams.

"I'm very flattered to be named the Guinness Six Nations Player of the Championship," said Jones.

The Welsh campaign started at the Stade de France in Paris on 1 February. The visitors left the field at half-time in disarray as the partisan fans bawled out La Marseillaise and feasted on France's 16-0 lead.

Glory

But under the wily stewardship of coach Warren Gatland, Jones and his men returned a different outfit. They capitalised on an array of farcical blunders to overturn the deficit and silence the crowing with a 24-19 victory.

Wins over Italy, England and Scotland followed before the dismissal of the Irish.

"For me as the captain, it's a validation of what we've done as a squad throughout the campaign," Jones said

Jones is the fifth Welshman to be anointed player of the championship after Martyn Williams, Shane Williams, Dan Lydiate and Leigh Halfpenny.

He was on the 2019 shortlist with teammates Hadleigh Parkes, Josh Adams and Liam Williams as well as the English pair Jonny May and Tom Curry.

Jones added: "To be up there as a nominee with three other Welsh players and two outstanding players from England would have been more than enough and I'm very grateful to the people who have taken the time to vote."