Rugby World Cup: Wales handed boost after fans queue to watch training, says Ryan Jones
Former captain Ryan Jones considers the Wales team have been given”a huge lift” ahead of the Rugby World Cup, after 15,000 people queued to see their receptive training session at Kitakyushu.
Wales came in the scene where they’re training from sailors, also are located in the southern town, which will not host any matches during the tournament.
Warren Gatland’s group get their tournament under way on Monday, September 23 against Georgia, also also triple Grand Slam winner Jones says the reception they’ve received will reward the players.
“I have never experienced anything like this in my own career. It is astonishing and it’s been really emotional,” said Jones, who played for Wales in 2004-2014.
“It has been like hosting a party. This afternoon we got up and we were saying’oh, I hope it goes well now and people will develop’.
“Then to find the queues and then to observe the players’ faces when they came out, it was simply magic.
“It’s surpassed all our expectations. It is great as the guys are one week from our very first match, and to get an adventure such as this makes it home how amazing an occasion it is.
“It will give the players a massive lift. The fantasy was to turn the city reddish and we’ve done .”
Jones, who helped build links between the Welsh Rugby Union and Kitakyushu, included:”If you look back on things in your career, establishing that has been magnificent.
“Seeing the players once they arrived in the welcome party the other night, and watching their faces here, they didn’t comprehend it.
“They’ve not seen anything like this and they will remember it forever. I know we’ll be back and long may it continue.”
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