Ryan Jones showed against London Irish in the Heineken Cup that if you are good the number on your back is not so important, according to The Observer's Eddie Butler.
"I don't suppose Ryan Jones fell to his knees in praise of the Ospreys' selection policy when he was picked in the second row to face Irish, but if he was anxious about his future as captain and No8 of Wales he disguised it pretty well. His performance in the No4 shirt, the one that normally comes with a set of donkey ears sewn on, was outstanding. His side gathered win points for themselves and denied a losing bonus point to their opponents.
"The Ospreys had nearly beaten Toulon with 33% possession and it seemed to chime with them that if primary ball-winning was an issue, at the lineout in particular, then they could make a virtue of mobility and the exertion of pressure in defence. Jones gave away a couple of penalties in time-honoured fashion for squirming into a position on the ground that delayed the exit of the ball, but he roamed and pounced and tackled and hit rucks with a vengeance, all part of the shuddering that reduced the game almost to a standstill in the closing minutes."
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