Chris Jones (rugby player)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Christopher Michael Jones (born 24 June 1980 in Manchester) is an English rugby union footballer. He is a lock or flanker.
His rugby union career blossomed at Stockport Grammar School. He went on to take a Business Studies course at Sheffield Hallam University and was three years into it when Sale Sharks invited him to join them. He played for Cheshire at U18 and U20 level, then briefly with Fylde before joining Sale Sharks.
He made a startling rise to the England Sevens squad, and was nominated for the 2003 PRA Young Player of the Year Award. He was part of the England A team that beat France A, Scotland A and Italy A in their 2003 Six Nations and also went on the unbeaten England tour to North America and Japan that year.
He played for England in the uncapped match against the Barbarians at Twickenham in May 2003. His outstanding line out jumping has made him a constant threat to other Premiership teams, while a series of long range tries for Sale Sharks has underlined his athletic capabilities.
The year 2004 marked another leap forward. He was called up to the senior team by then head coach Clive Woodward from the start of the Six Nations. He came off the bench against Italy for his debut cap and promptly scored a try. This earned him a starting position against Scotland as a flanker and again against Wales from where he continued to impress. He was selected for the 2004 Summer tour, starting against the All Blacks in Dunedin in the first Test.
Sale Sharks coach Kingsley Jones referred to him as 'the most hard done-by player in England' after he was hardly used during the 2005 Autumn test series.
