Jones always seemed destined to follow in the footsteps of the great Welsh fly-halves after being selected in the 1999 World Cup squad aged only 21.

He captained the Welsh Under-21 squad to the 1999 Grand Slam, and thereafter made himself the obvious choice at fly-half in the 2003 World Cup.

The Llanelli star had to overcome a few mixed displays to cement his place in the side before facing pressure from the high-profile capture of Iestyn Harris.

However the cross-code star found it impossible to snatch the number 10 jersey from Jones, who continues to perform at the top of his game on a consistent basis.

Jones' most obvious talent is as an instinctive playmaker who kicks almost faultlessly from both the ground and hand - though the mantle of the legendary Neil Jenkins is a heavy one to bear, and his form with the boot certainly deserted him in the 2003 World Cup quarter-final defeat by England.

Standing over 6ft tall and weighing in at over 14 stone, the Aberystwyth-born outside-half is also strong defensively and is not afraid to put his body on the line.

Now playing his club rugby in France for Clermont Auvergne, Jones was the form fly-half during the Six Nations and looks set to continue his Wales half-back partnership with Dwayne Peel.