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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Katie Sands

'Don't ever speak about a team like that!' Alun Wyn Jones had words with WRU bigwig as England players left in awe

It would take a brave person to openly criticise any rugby team after a defeat. Let alone do it in front of them, their opponents and a room full of people.

But, after one Welsh defeat to England at Twickenham, onlookers were seemingly left watching events unfold through their hands. The incident led to Alun Wyn Jones confronting an unnamed Welsh Rugby Union bigwig after ending up on the wrong side of the scoreline at English rugby HQ.

James Haskell takes up the tale in the presence of Jones on the latest episode of The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast, saying: "I was blown away the time England played Wales at Twickenham, and somebody from your side got up and did a speech and basically said you'd let the team down and it was a bit of an embarrassment and you walked straight up and said 'don't ever speak about a team like that, everyone has tried their 100%. Yes the result, we didn't get what we wanted but you cannot say that'. I was like 'f***ing hell, I love that', you want a leader to be able to speak up and say that."

Read next: Wales' likely team for first Test against South Africa as Wayne Pivac comes full circle with Gatland old guard

Jones, who has been named in Wales' squad to tour South Africa this summer, interjected: "In credit to him, I think he was as disappointed as we were.

"Obviously I think he'd had a few more than we had and credit to him as a man he actually came to us and met us in person and put it right and apologised and stuff. It is what it is sometimes.

"That sort of approach has got me in trouble at times as well. It doesn't happen too often but I think sometimes when something needs to be said it needs to be said."

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