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Ryan Jones tipped to lead Lions

Sunday 13th April 2008

Main Man: Ryan Jones lift his second trophy in as many months

Ospreys coach Lyn Jones hailed his skipper Ryan Jones as the outstanding candidate to follow in Martin Johnson's shoes and lead the Lions on the 2009 tour to South Africa.

Johnson led the victorious 1997 tourists and Jones, the dynamic Wales Grand Slam skipper, is fast emerging as the strong favourite to lead next year's assault on the world champions.

Lyn Jones hailed his skipper's influence as the Ospreys buried the disappointment of last weekend's shock Heineken Cup defeat to Saracens to lift the EDF Energy Cup with a comprehensive victory over Leicester.

Andrew Bishop and Alun-Wyn Jones scored either side of half-time and James Hook kicked 13 points in a comprehensive performance.

The back-row trio of Marty Holah, Filo Tiatia and Jones controlled the game against a Leicester side who were comprehensively outplayed in a reverse of last year's final.

"I thought Ryan Jones's captaincy was fantastic. It was a big decision to make Ryan captain this year because Duncan Jones did so well," said Jones.

"I felt his personality was spot on for captaincy. This weekend he took Martin Corry on at the captaincy role and I thought he edged it.

"For me, Ryan Jones is already captain of the Lions for next year.

"Ryan is a leader on the field. His performances are exemplary. He is hard on himself, he is hard on everybody else. He demands high standards.

"He is not a lover, he is a leader. He is not a manager, he is a leader. He won't go missing next year in South Africa."

The Ospreys became the first Welsh side to win the EDF Energy Cup and Lyn Jones is convinced it is the first step to establishing the region as one of Europe's powerhouses.

"Adam Jones was the oldest player in the front five at 27. James Hook is only 22," he said.

"They will have a lot of bad experiences to come and we will have to suffer them before we really do hit it.

"We realised some potential this weekend but there is still a lot of growth here. We are ambitious. We are realistic what we can achieve here but it is one experience at a time.

"We qualified for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals for the first time ever, came to foreign soil and got kicked in the pants.

"You are going to get dips and thunderbolts but you go on. We took a real kick in the pants against Saracens and it hurt.

"We came back knowing exactly what we had to do. You can talk about the Australian cricket team, the Springboks and the All Blacks, and they have all had a kick in the pants.

"They are horrible experiences but you have to go through them to appreciate what it is all about. It is part of growing up.

"We have been here in the EDF final before, seen it, done it, smelled it. And coming here this weekend I knew we were going to win.

"We have won a couple of Magners League titles but to win a cup is a lot harder and we are absolutely delighted."

Leicester began well and earned a 6-0 lead with a penalty and drop goal from Andy Goode but failed to extend that advantage when Danny Hipkiss spilled the ball after the Ospreys had held up the Tigers forwards on the line.

The Ospreys then took control with Hook a constant threat running from fly-half while Holah, Tiatia and Ryan Jones dominated Leicester at the breakdown.

Leicester had one golden chance to haul their way back into the match around the hour mark when Corry opted for a five-metre scrum instead of a shot at goal.

But the Ospreys defended valiantly for six minutes, holding up a Leicester drive over the line.

"We were trailing and needed to be proactive," said Corry.

"We were far from our best. We under-performed in every facet of the game."

The Tigers, double-winners last season, now face a battle to avoid finishing an indifferent season empty-handed.

Leicester have four Guinness Premiership fixtures to cement their place in the top four and secure a place in the semi-finals. Victory at Bath on Tuesday is vital.

Corry said: "We have a game of huge proportions on Tuesday. We have to get over this defeat very quickly because, as it stands, we are fifth in the Premiership and it is a must-win game at Bath."