Huw Jones feared he'd played 'last game for Scotland'

Huw Jones revealed his pride over the resurrection of his Scotland career as he prepares to win his 50th cap against Uruguay in Montevideo this Saturday.

The 30-year-old centre burst on to the international scene in 2017 with a flurry of tries but was then omitted from the squad for the 2019 World Cup in Japan before enduring a barren 23-month spell in which he failed to win a cap between the 2021 Six Nations and the 2023 renewal.

Since returning to the fold 18 months ago, however, Jones has swiftly re-established himself as a key member of Gregor Townsend’s starting XV.

The Glasgow back explained that the difficult spells he has faced, including times he feared his Scotland career was over, will make him all the more appreciative of this weekend’s landmark appearance.

“I’m really excited to be getting my 50th cap,” Jones said. “It’s been a long journey with lots of ups and downs. It’s obviously a huge honour to play for your country once, any time, so to be able to do it 50 times is a massive privilege.

“I’m super proud with what I’ve achieved in my career and to get to this point. When I first came into the squad, my first few caps came quite quickly and it seemed quite straightforward but then you get a few setbacks, a couple of injuries, a couple of times when you don’t get selected, and it really makes you appreciate it a lot more.

“I’ll never take for granted getting picked in a squad or getting picked for a game at the weekend. With all the setbacks I’ve had and with extended periods when I wasn’t even making training squads, and when I’d probably got to the point where I thought I’d maybe played my last game for Scotland, to turn it round and have this run of playing consistently over the last two years has been absolutely amazing.

“To reach 50 caps has been a goal of mine for a while. Obviously a few years ago it didn’t seem realistic, so to get to this point is amazing.”

Jones’ Scotland renaissance has coincided with finding form and contentment since his return to Glasgow in the 2022-23 season following a spell at Harlequins.

“I came back to Glasgow after a year away and having not really been in the Scotland set-up, but I think the squad and the coaching we have at Glasgow really suits me,” said Jones, who recently turned down offers abroad to sign a new deal at Glasgow.

“I feel I’ve become a better player over the last two years and I feel I’ve still got more to give and more to improve on over the next two years of this contract.

“At this point my career is going pretty well so I thought, ‘why change that?’ and that was a big reason I decided to stay.”