Wales legend broke news of mother's death to Joe Marler and his reaction says it all
'I don't know if I'm going to get emotional here,' began legendary prop Adam Jones.
Ospreys legend Adam Jones had just received the awful news when Joe Marler asked if there was anything he could do to help.
(Image: THE OVERLAP RUGBY )
Wales icon Adam Jones received the news of his mother's death before Joe Marler managed to lighten the mood with an unintentional X-rated moment.
The newly-appointed Wales scrum coach appeared as a guest on the latest edition of The Overlap's Stick To Rugby podcast, where he was interviewed by Tom Shanklin, Scott Quinnell, Lawrence Dallaglio and Katy Daley-McLean.
Dallaglio asked Jones about his relationship with the fan favourite former England international, and the Welshman said he "got on well" with Marler before telling a peculiar, bittersweet tale that encapsulated what he was like as a friend.
"If you're friends with him, he is the best bloke," began Jones. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
"I don't know if I'm going to get emotional here, but we were in San Francisco with Quins on a pre-season camp. We had been to Philadelphia the year before, San Francisco the next year, the furthest we went with the Ospreys was Tenby or something like that. So, with Quins it was already a different level.
"We had a good night out, day off the next day. Then I get a phone call from my wife at three o'clock in the morning saying that my mother has died. She fell down the stairs. You are obviously devastated. I come back into the room and I'm crying my eyes out.
Article continues below
"I'm sat at the end of the bed and Joe is my roommate. And he's like: 'Bomb, Bomb, what has happened?'
"'My mam has died, she has fallen down the stairs.' He rushes over: 'What can I do, what can I do?'
"I'm sat at the end of the bed, and I don't know whether he did this on purpose, I looked up and all I could see was his genitals in my face. He looks at me and says: 'Shall I put some shorts on?'"
Dallaglio said: "That'd be a good thing to do!"
"It lightened the mood straight away," continued Jones.
"And then he took me to Denny's and we spent the next two hours there reminiscing and eating.
"When he cares about you, he is the best bloke. He can be a nightmare, when he doesn't care he can be a pain.
"I'll always remember that day when he was there for me, I don't think he was joking! But it happened to be quite amusing having a package in my face, shall we say?"
Jones has just been revealed as part of Wales' coaching staff for the upcoming tour of Japan. Of course, he was on board during the Six Nations but had returned to Harlequins following the end of the tournament.
Article continues below
Joining him in the Far East will be interim head coach Matt Sherratt, Gethin Jenkins, T Rhys Thomas and Danny Wilson.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
17 minutes ago
- Leader Live
MS says culture isn't a luxury in Wales its 'who we are'
MS for Delyn Last week in the Senedd, I spoke about the incredible contribution of North Wales to our cultural landscape – whether that's the Llangollen International Eisteddfod or the North Wales International Music Festival in St Asaph or our historic heritage at Flint Castle and Greenfield Valley. There's also the jewel in our cultural crown, Theatr Clwyd, which is nearing the end of an inspirational transformation. Culture in Wales isn't a luxury, it's who we are. It empowers, connects and drives our economy and it deserves to be supported not only by Welsh Government and other public bodies but also by our communities, the communities who inspire and attend performances and enjoy the wonderful cultural riches on offer in our corner of Wales. You can see many of my contributions in Senedd on my Facebook page at It was also lovely recently to welcome students and teachers from Point of Ayr Federation Schools to the Senedd for a visit. They certainly asked some fantastic questions and took the opportunity to raise a number of things they were concerned about with me – from the impact of acts of anti-social behaviour on their school and in their local area to what was happening with plans for a new skate park. I look forward to taking these matters up as their Member of the Senedd and updating the students through their schools. Last week was Armed Forces Week, culminating in Armed Forces Day on Saturday – a chance to pay tribute to the dedication, courage and sacrifice of those who have served and those who continue to serve in our Armed Forces. I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to all those in our Armed Forces community, including veterans and reservists here in North Wales, for their continued service and commitment. We will always remember, support and stand with you. As this year's Pride month comes to a close, it's a chance to reflect on what has been a packed but powerful few weeks. From the first ever Prestatyn Pride to the excellent Flintshire Schools Pride, Pride Cymru in the capital and Commonwealth events in the Senedd, Pride remains as relevant and as important as ever – a positive force for good that brings together both the LGBTQ+ community and the wider community. It's a privilege to serve the community that shaped me here in North Wales and I'm proud to be an authentic advocate and ally for our LGBTQ+ community too. Pride is still a protest and love will always win! Regular readers of this column will know that the Welsh Government will be banning plastic in wet wipes next year – the legislation is set to come into force in December 2026 and is part of a wider, integrated approach to address the problems created by excess plastic and litter, banning all sorts of single-use and unnecessary plastics in products we all use regularly, something which I kick-started when I was Minister for Environment back in 2016. So it was heartening this week to hear that Nice-Pak in Flint, one of our biggest local employers and one which does a lot of work locally for our communities, is ready for the transition ahead of the legislation by ensuring that 96% of the wipes it manufactures for the UK market are already plastic-free. This is great news for the company and for the environment – well done to the team at Nice-Pak! Finally, a reminder that Mold Carnival is back this Sunday, July 6 – a brilliant local event that brings the whole community together at the Rec and Kendricks Field (Maes Bodlonfa Fields). The day kicks off with a colourful parade at 10:30am from Griffiths Square car park and runs until 6pm with everything from hands-on science fun and special character appearances to live music, dance acts and family entertainment throughout the day. Plus, there'll be free football activities thanks to the FAW and McDonald's as well as Transformer robots! If you're free, do pop down and support this fantastic local day out. It's a great celebration of everything that makes Mold such a special place to live. As always, if you would like advice and/or support, please don't hesitate to get in touch on any of the following contact details – 52 High Street, Mold, Flintshire, on 01352 753464 or by email You can also keep up to date via my Facebook page – Constituents are, of course, welcome to contact my office to arrange an appointment to see me, you don't need to wait for an advice surgery.
Wales Online
30 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Wales name team to face Japan as two big stars named on bench
Wales name team to face Japan as two big stars named on bench Both Aaron Wainwright and Tommy Reffell would have been expected to start in Saturday's first Test in Kitakyushu Tommy Reffell training in Kitakyushu (Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency ) Matt Sherratt has named his Wales team to face Japan this Saturday, with back-rows Alex Mann and Josh Macleod starting ahead of Aaron Wainwright and Tommy Reffell in Kitakyushu. Wainwright and Reffell boast 84 caps between them, but interim head coach Sherratt has held them back on the bench as he opts for a 6-2 split to cope with the heat and humidity in Japan. Instead, Cardiff blindside Mann and Scarlets openside Macleod - who have seven caps between them - will pack down with Taulupe Faletau in the Welsh back-row. In terms of new caps, there's just one potential debut - with Cardiff captain Liam Belcher in line for a first cap off the bench. Alongside Mann and Macleod, a number of players are handed recalls - with Johnny Williams, Sam Costelow, Kieran Hardy and Ben Carter having all not featured in this year's Six Nations. Only fly-half Costelow has played for Wales this season, having last featured in the autumn internationals. Scrum-half Hardy and second-row Carter were both involved on last year's summer tour, while blindside flanker Mann's last cap came in his maiden Six Nations campaign last season. Centre Williams last featured in a Test against Portugal in the World Cup pool stage back in 2023, prior to the current 17-Test losing run. As for openside Macleod, the last of the Scarlets captain's two caps came in the autumn of 2022. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack for the exclusive five-week tour diary from Japan and Australia. However, after a strong season in Llanelli, he's backed to start against the Brave Blossoms ahead of Leicester flanker Reffell, with Taulupe Faletau completing the back-row with Macleod and Mann. Article continues below 'Something we made a big point of in the first team meeting," said Sherratt about including the likes of Macleod and Belcher. "There's a number of players who've worked their way back into the squad. 'Josh Macleod is an obvious one. He's struggled with some injuries, had a real rollercoaster over the last three or four years, so him coming back in is massive. 'I think you could tell from the players' reaction when Liam Belcher was selected how much he deserves it. 'He's been in the regional game for 10 years. He's changed clubs. He's gone back to university to do an electrician's degree and then he's managed to work his way into the national squad. So delighted for Liam.' Despite the sense that Wales are near full-strength - with just two Welshmen initially named in Andy Farrell's Lions squad - Sherratt has made 11 changes to the side that lost heavily to England at the end of the Six Nations. Only loosehead Nicky Smith, No. 8 Faletau, centre Ben Thomas and full-back Blair Murray remain as starters. Cardiff's player of the season Teddy Williams partners Carter in the second-row, with Smith and Keiron Assiratti either side of captain Dewi Lake in the front-row. Hardy, who partners his former Scarlets team-mate Costelow in the half-backs, starts for Wales for the first time in two years. In midfield, Thomas partners Williams - becoming the eighth different centre partnership by Wales in the 17 Tests since the World Cup. This also marks the first time Williams starts at outside centre for Wales - with all seven of his caps having previously been in the 12 jersey. In the back-three, Tom Rogers and Josh Adams start either side of Murray. On the bench, there's recalls for Archie Griffin and James Ratti, with Sherratt relying on the experience of Reffell, Gareth Thomas, Aaron Wainwright and Rhodri Williams to make an impact in the second-half. Scarlets centre Joe Roberts provides the outside backs cover on the replacements' pine. "We've had a very good build-up. We tried to give everyone a fair chance of selection," added Sherratt. 'One of the key messages was it's going to be a 23-man job. So, we've tried to spread the experience out in terms of getting some experience coming off the bench. 'I think an 80-minute performance, that physical edge and making sure that we transfer training into the game is going to be the biggest thing for us. 'It's going to be humid. It's going to be hot. Japan traditionally play quite a fast brand of rugby, so us getting up to speed with that is going to be key. 'We've seen from just being around Kitakyushu this last week, there seems to be a real affinity between some of the Japanese locals and the Welsh team. Hopefully it will be fantastic on Saturday.' Wales: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Johnny Williams, Ben Thomas, Josh Adams; Sam Costelow, Kieran Hardy; Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake, Keiron Assiratti, Ben Carter, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Josh Macleod, Taulupe Faletau. Article continues below Replacements: Liam Belcher, Gareth Thomas, Archie Griffin, James Ratti, Aaron Wainwright, Tommy Reffell, Rhodri Williams, Joe Roberts.
Wales Online
30 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Wales press conference Live as Matt Sherratt names team for first Japan Test
Matt Sherratt has named his Wales team to take on Japan this Saturday in Kitakyushu, opting to hold the experience of Aaron Wainwright and Tommy Reffell back on the bench. Alex Mann and Josh Macleod are preferred to the experienced back-rowers, as Sherratt opts for a 6-2 split on the bench to deal with the expected heat and humidity on Saturday. There are just four survivors in the starting XV from the one that ended the Six Nations against England - with Nicky Smith, Taulupe Faletau, Ben Thomas and Blair Murray keeping their jerseys. Wales take on the Brave Blossoms at Mikuni World Stadium this weekend as they look to end a 17-Test losing run. Defeat to Japan would see Wales slide down to 14th in the rankings, falling behind Saturday's opponents as well as Samoa. Having named his side, Sherratt will now face the media - with that press conference set to take place at 7am UK time. You can follow all the updates from that in our live blog below. Japan: Takuro Matsunaga; Kippei Ishida, Dylan Riley, Shogo Nakano, Malo Tuitama; Seungsin Lee, Shinobu Fujiwara; Yota Kamimori, Mamoru Harada, Shuhei Takeuchi, Epineri Uluiviti, Warner Deans, Michael Leitch (c), Jack Cornelsen, Amato Fakatava. Replacements: Hayate Era, Sena Kimura, Keijiro Tamefusa, Waisake Raratubua, Ben Gunter, Shuntaro Kitamura, Ichigo Nakakusu, Halatoa Vailea. Wales: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Johnny Williams, Ben Thomas, Josh Adams; Sam Costelow, Kieran Hardy; Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake, Keiron Assiratti, Ben Carter, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Josh Macleod, Taulupe Faletau. Replacements: Liam Belcher, Gareth Thomas, Archie Griffin, James Ratti, Aaron Wainwright, Tommy Reffell, Rhodri Williams, Joe Roberts. Live updates:
