Six Nations: Does omission from Wales squad spell the end for Adam Jones?

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has named his 34-man squad for the upcoming Six Nations, with four uncapped players in the side and no place for Cardiff prop Adam Jones.

Instead Gatland has opted for Samson Lee, Aaron Jarvis and Scott Andrews as the tighthead props for this year’s campaign, despite the fact that Cardiff Blues team-mate Andrews has not started ahead of Jones in any PRO12 encounter so far this season.

Jones, who will turn 34 during this year's Six Nations, has 100 international appearances to his name, but seems to have fallen out of favour with Gatland.

He did not make the squad for last year’s November internationals, and with the news of his omission from this year’s Six Nations squad, it seems that Jones' international future is in jeopardy - with Gatland saying the prop will only features for Wales if injuries necessitate it.

"It was a long debate about leaving Adam out because we know he has been working hard," Gatland said.

"We know his experience, and if we do get injuries we can call him in. It is about us developing some strength in depth in that position that we don't have a huge amount of.

"With Adam at the moment we don't see him as a player who comes off the bench, we see him as a starter in that position if he does come into the squad."

Incumbent

Jones had been Gatland’s first-choice tighthead ever since the Kiwi took over the coaching reins at Wales at the end of 2007, beginning with Wales’ Championship-winning Six Nations campaign in 2008.

The Cardiff man was part of two tours for the British and Irish Lions, the second of which was the 2013 tour to Australia for which Gatland was head coach, and he picked Jones to start in all three Tests against the Wallabies.

The last of Jones' international caps came against South Africa during the two-match tour in June last year. Jones was replaced in the 31st minute of the second Test against the Springboks - a throwback to his reputation as a 30-minute man when he first arrived on the scene and Wales' then-coach Steve Hansen would only use him for the first 30 minutes of a game due to conditioning concerns.

Time now seems to be up for Jones and his international ambitions as Scarlets prop Lee appears to be the incumbent tighthead prop for Gatland as the coach turns his focus towards the World Cup later in the year.

Jones will have hoped to at least play a part in the squad as Wales aim to better their semi-final showing in the last World Cup, but with Lee, Jarvis and Andrews all picked ahead of him, the prospect is unlikely for the Wales stalwart.

Wales squad: 

Forwards: Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Paul James (Bath), Rob Evans (Scarlets), Aaron Jarvis (Ospreys), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Scott Andrews (Cardiff Blues), Richard Hibbard (Gloucester), Kristian Dacey (Cardiff Blues), Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Bradley Davies (Wasps), Luke Charteris (Racing Metro), Dan Lydiate (Ospreys), James King (Ospreys), Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues, Capt), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).

Backs: Mike Phillips (Racing Metro), Rhys Webb (Ospreys), Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Gareth Anscombe (Cardiff Blues), Cory Allen (Cardiff Blues), Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro), Jonathan Davies (Clermont Auvergne), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Tyler Morgan (Newport Gwent Dragons), Hallam Amos (Newport Gwent Dragons), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), George North (Northampton Saints), Liam Williams (Scarlets), Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon).