Welsh tighthead on the mend
Wales coach Warren Gatland will breathe a sigh of relief with the news that Ospreys tighthead prop Adam Jones is likely to return to action soon after suffering a neck injury on Boxing Day.
Jones left the field in the Ospreys defeat to Scarlets on Monday, which cast doubts on his potential involvement in the Six Nations for Wales, but Ospreys physio Chris Towers is hopeful that the front row veteran will be fit for the New Year's Day derby against the Cardiff Blues after it was revealed that the injury was only a muscle spasm.
Towers explained that Jones will be closely monitored throughout the week before a final decision on his avaliablity is made, although it seems as though Gatland can rest easy in the knowledge that he will play a part in the Six Nations campaign.
"Adam suffered a minor muscle spasm and we remain hopeful about his prospects of being available for selection on New Year's Day, subject to him undergoing a fitness test later in the week," said Towers.
With locks Luke Charteris and Alun-Wynn Jones currently sidelined, Gatland will be grateful to have the cornerstone of his tight five in the mix for the European competition.
The tighthead's Ospreys and Wales teammate Ryan Jones is feeling bullish ag=head of the clash with Cardiff, and explained that the Swansea-base side are determined to bounce back from their defeat on Boxing Day.
The loss to the Scarlets was the region's third consecutive reversal, and although they currently remain second in the Pro12 table, Jones understands that the team needs to up it's game in order to put an end to the barren run and ensure their fans home with smile on their faces after the first game of 2012.
"We don't often lose three consecutive matches and understandably we're all hurting at the moment. If you look at all three games, we haven't been that far off it, we've been competitive in every game and been a dropped pass or a wrong option away from overturning the scoreline.
"It's incredibly frustrating for us as players, it really is, we are desperate to do well for the region, just as the fans are desperate for us to win, and we are working hard every day to get it right. The good thing is we aren't talking about major issues, it's about individual errors, accuracy, and needing to be more clinical," he explained.
The clash will just about be an international trial match just a month ahead of the Six Nations as those who played alongside each other during the Welsh squad's run to the World Cup semifinal look to nail down their place for the forthcoming Test matches in February and March, a factor that Jones believes will contribute to what he expects to be a great match.
"Different things motivate people, get them up for the game, but that's definitely a factor when it comes to a game like this" he explained.
"I'm a bit long in the tooth nowadays but that's definitely a factor. The guys know each other well, we know what's at stake in terms of the derby match and beating your rivals, which makes the fans happy, and I suppose there is an element of getting in a good performance against your international rival in front of the Wales coaches who'll be watching," said Jones.