Ospreys prop Cam Jones has experienced an eventful couple of weeks, signing a new deal with his hometown club before being called up to train with Wales ahead of their match against the Barbarians at Twickenham. The 24-year-old loosehead, who stands 6ft 4ins, has made 12 appearances for the Ospreys to date, but his potential has already caught the attention of Wales defence coach Steve Tandy.
New Deal and Immediate Call-Up
Towards the end of June, Jones signed a new contract to remain at the Ospreys, having progressed through their academy. Upon signing, head coach Mark Jones praised the prop, stating he has "all the potential to be a top-quality player." Within days, Jones was brought into Wales camp for a closer look, following a similar path to tighthead prop Rhys Henry, who had also been called up earlier in the summer.
Jones spent the build-up to the Barbarians match with Wales, travelling to Twickenham on the weekend and participating in the warm-up. While Wales are not short on loosehead options—with Rhys Carre, Nicky Smith, and Gareth Thomas all in contention to start—Jones fits the mould of a marauding prop, similar to Carre and Rhys Barratt, who impressed on his debut with a rampaging break.
Steve Tandy on Development Opportunities
According to Tandy, the exposure to international camp is invaluable for young players like Jones. "I think it's huge," Tandy said. "I think it's something that is exciting and that's where I think long term is how, in between campaigns, we can accelerate." He highlighted the development of Rhys Henry over three or four weeks, describing it as "brilliant." Tandy added: "Training with these guys at the intensity, bringing other people in at that speed builds them up. But also I think it's educating and teaching them about what they got to do before. After training, how to be a professional around the recovery process, whether it be ice baths, saunas, robustness. So it's been amazing."
Regarding Jones specifically, Tandy noted: "A young kid like Cam, you can see he's fast, he's athletic, brilliant ball player, so exposing him to four weeks with our boys is exciting." The Wales coaching team, including former Wales prop Paul James at club level and Duncan Jones at Test level, are in place to help Jones and others reach their potential.
Expanding the Player Pool
Tandy emphasised the importance of increasing contact time with players outside of campaigns. "We want more contact time with the boys, we want to find ways as coaches. That's where you'll see Paul, it isn't just about during the campaign that we want to see these boys," he said. "The beauty of our country is we're small, but we can get people together really quickly, so it's something that we want to accelerate in that way as well."
Jones's inclusion in camp signals Wales's intent to develop depth at loosehead prop, with a focus on athletic, ball-playing forwards who can make an impact in open play.
