Jones aims to help lift Wales in Six Nations role

If somebody is needed to lift the negativity in Welsh rugby, Adam Jones might just be that man.

The Welsh rugby cult hero has been brought into Warren Gatland's Wales backroom staff as a scrum consultant for the Six Nations, which starts with a daunting trip to face France in Paris on Friday night.

The former Wales prop has been given a secondment by his English club Harlequins and linked up with Gatland's squad on Monday.

With Wales having lost a record 12 consecutive internationals, any fresh voice in the camp may be welcome - especially that of a character like Jones.

"It's been little bit like a first day back at school," he said.

"There are a lot of players I don't know. I've obviously seen them on television.

"I played with a couple and against a couple. I played with one's dad (Dafydd Jenkins' father Hywel), which makes me feel a bit old."

Laughter has been in short supply at Wales press conferences in recent times, but Jones ensured there was a jovial atmosphere at the beginning of another potentially turbulent campaign.

There is also major substance to Jones. He has outstanding pedigree having won 95 Wales caps during an 11-year international career that included four Six Nations titles, three Grand Slams and three World Cups.

He also played in five British and Irish Lions Tests across the 2009 tour to South Africa and then Australia four years later.

He is a rugby and sport expert. On his return to Wales media duty, Jones pointed to his record 18 successful answers on BBC quiz show 'A Question of Sport', an achievement which - as he reminded those listening - made presenter Sue Barker's autobiography.

Jones also explained how the return to the Welsh international fold came about.

"I've had communication with the management asking if I wanted to come in and help out," said Jones.

"With Humphs (Wales forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys) doing the breakdown, line-out and scrum, it's a fair workload. So I'm chuffed to get the nod."

Jones says he has been encouraged by first impressions.

"I have seen how hard everyone is working, how much they want to win," he added.

"You can see the boys are hurting - it's natural. If boys want to work hard, you can't ask for more.

"I'm sure the nation will get behind them and hopefully we can get off to a good start."

Jones says it has been difficult to see Wales struggling from his base in England.

"I'm a proud Welshman," he said.

"It's been hard to see what's happened in the last couple of years but the boys and coaches are working hard to put things right."

Jones spent the majority of his career in Wales with Ospreys before joining Cardiff for one season.

He linked up with Harlequins in 2015 as a player-coach before retiring from playing in 2018.

The 43-year-old immediately became a permanent part of the backroom staff at the Stoop, where he has helped English props Joe Marler, Fin Baxter and Kyle Sinckler.

So what does Jones think he can bring on his Wales return?

"I guess a different voice," he said.

"I'm lucky I've worked with a lot of good coaches over the last nine years. They've all done things differently to environments I've been used to back home.

"I've changed a lot since I've been in England. I'm more outgoing."

Jones' Wales role is temporary - he will return to Harlequins after the Six Nations - though he says working with the national side is something he would like to do in the long term.

"When this chance came up I was dying to do it and Harlequins were amazing," said Jones.

"Coaching at Test match level is something I'm going to cherish.

"I'm looking forward to doing it now until the end of the Six Nations. I will block off these eight weeks and then go back to Harlequins."

It has been 11 years since Jones was most recently involved on the international stage, in what was a controversial end to his Test playing career.

Gatland brought Jones off after just 30 minutes against South Africa in his 100th and final international.

Jones was unhappy at the time and also wrote about the experience later in his autobiography. He insists any issues are now a thing of the past.

"We have kissed and made up," said Jones.

"It got twisted a little bit when I finished. Anyone who finishes their career is going to be upset. What he (Gatland) did for me as a player was huge and I worked with him for a decade.

"I wouldn't have got to 95 Wales caps, won Grand Slams or gone on Lions tours if he hadn't have come in at that time and pushed me in the right direction.

"He had a certain way of doing things and got me to that level and I was always be thankful for that, so I'm happy to work for him because he had such a massive influence on my career."

Gatland is under extreme pressure having been given a vote of confidence for the Six Nations despite overseeing Wales' worst losing run.

"For someone who has been around the block as long as he has, he's calm and knows what he wants," said Jones.

"What he is good at, when I was a player, was that backs-to-the-wall narrative.

"Gats is brilliant at the underdogs mentality and bringing a team together quickly in a short space of time and getting results out of them. He's exceptional at that and I'm backing him to pull it round."

Jones says nobody is giving Wales a hope in France.

"The whole country and rugby world thinks we are going to go to France and get pumped," said Jones.

"We want to go out there, test them as much as we can and get the crowd silent.

"That's a key thing out there. It sounds a bit like Gladiator when Oliver Reed says it to Russell Crowe. If we can silence that, it's half the battle won.

"As long as we front up and give 100%, which you will because you are wearing the jersey for your country, certain things can happen."

Jones will have only a few sessions to try to help the Welsh scrum cope with the fearsome French set-piece.

"They have a saying in France, 'no scrum, now win'," said Jones.

"We have to go there with a plan. We want to take them on and not give them anything.

"If they get the opposition scrum or maul going backwards, that's when they get on top. They feed off that energy. It's key we don't give them that."