Former captain Ryan Jones considers the Wales squad have now been given”a enormous elevator” before the Rugby World Cup, following 15,000 people queued to observe their receptive training session in Kitakyushu.
Wales are located in the southern Japanese city, which won’t host any matches also arrived at the stadium where they’re training from sailors.
The group of warren Gatland get their championship under way on Monday, September 23 against Georgia, also triple Grand Slam winner Jones says the reception they’ve received will benefit the players.
“I have never experienced anything like this in my career. It is astonishing and it has been very emotional,” said Jones, who played for Wales in 2004-2014.
“It’s been like hosting a celebration. This morning we got up and we were saying’oh, I hope people will develop and it goes well’.
“Then to find the queues and then to find the gamers’ faces when they came out, it was simply magical.
“It has exceeded all our expectations. It is great since the men are to have an experience like this brings it home how it is, and also one week out from our very first game.
“It’ll give the players a enormous lift. The fantasy was to turn the city red and we’ve done that.”
Jones, who helped build links between the Welsh Rugby Union and Kitakyushu, included:”When you look back on things in your career, setting that has been magnificent.
“Viewing the players once they came in the welcome party the other night, and seeing their faces here, they didn’t understand it.
“They’ve never seen anything like this and they will remember it forever. I understand we will be back and long may it last.”
Read more here: http://www.jundaohc.com/?p=11460
