Ian Jones

Long and lanky, Ian Jones overcame constant carping, especially in his early years, about his perceived lack of bulk to become one of New Zealand rugby's greatest ever locks. When he left the New Zealand game in 1999 to finish out his playing days with a lucrative English contract with Gloucester he had 79 tests to his credit, second only to Sean Fitzpatrick's 92.

Jones was a product of Northland and was forever known by the nickname, "Kamo" after the Whangarei suburb in which he grew up. He failed to win early recognition and was overlooked for New Zealand colts honours. His potential only came to light when he made the North Auckland team, as it was then, in 1988 as a 21-year old stripling.

Jones in his first season excelled in an otherwise badly beaten North Auckland side in its Ranfurly Shield challenge against Auckland, securing a surprising amount of lineout ball. He confirmed that promise with another fine lineout performance for The Rest which stretched the shadow test XV in a trial early in 1989.

That earmarked him as a top prospect and accordingly he was taken on that year's end of season tour to Wales and Ireland, mainly for development purposes. Though Gary Whetton and Murray Pierce were the established test locks Jones had an excellent tour and when Pierce retired there was no concern about introducing him for his first cap, at Dunedin's Carisbrook against Scotland in 1990.

Jones marked the occasion with a try on debut. By coincidence six years later Jones played his 50th test, again at Carisbrook and again with Scotland the opponent. On almost the same spot as six years before Jones scored another try.

From 1990 through to 1997, other than the odd glitch, Jones was an automatic selection and he was one who emerged from the 1991 World Cup disappointment with his reputation intact. From 1992 and into the latter years of the decade he and Robin Brooke formed one of the most enduring locking partnerships in international rugby.

They were an ideal complement with one commanding the front of lineouts and the other the middle. And whereas Brooke was a hardnosed grinder Jones had the ball skills in the open.

Between 1988 and 1993 Jones played 66 matches for North Auckland but suffered when the union was relegated to the NPC second division after the 1992 season. Jones stayed on to captain the union but began to struggle internationally and during the series against the Lions that year was dropped for one of the tests.

He thus transferred to the neighbouring North Harbour union and played out the rest of his provincial career with Harbour, finishing with 53 matches. Back in the NPC first division, he reasserted himself as a first choice test player and had an especially outstanding 1995 World Cup.

Jones and Brooke were unchallenged as the test pair through the phenomenally successful 1996 and 1997 seasons, which saw the All Blacks win the inaugural tri-nations titles and in 1996 become the first from New Zealand to win a series in South Africa.

But in 1998 Jones' fortunes began to wane and he was one who paid for the five consecutive test losses that year. He was relegated to the reserves in favour of Royce Willis for the final two tests of that unhappy winter.

Jones struggled again to hold his place in 1999 and when he was demoted to the New Zealand A squad in the domestic season and it appeared his test days were over. But after some lineout problems were exposed in a test loss to the Wallabies in Sydney he was recalled to the World Cup squad for his third tournament.

Jones, though, was used only sparingly, appearing only in the romp over Italy and coming on as a replacement in the quarterfinal against Scotland and what had been a glorious All Black career ended on a low key note. Having had the good luck to have gone on extensive tours in his early years, Jones was the last man to have topped a century (105) matches for the All Blacks.

In the Super 12 Jones made 38 appearances, often as captain, for the Chiefs between 1996 and 1999. He once scored three tries in a match, against the Waratahs in 1996, but generally he did not have an enjoyable Super 12 experience and in 1998 he copped a lengthy suspension after a stomping incident involving the Hurricanes' Jason O'Halloran.

Jones returned to New Zealand in 2002 after his stint in English rugby and into the limelight as a perceptive comments man for Sky Television.

Profile by Bob Luxford
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.