“ALUN Wyn Jones is a colossus of a rugby player. With 147 international caps for Wales and the British and Ireland Lions, he is the most experienced international player that these isles have ever produced. He plays in a position that requires doing the donkey work. Others will be the fastest, the one with the most points, the most tries, all of which are valid things to celebrate, but Alun is almost unquantifiable in what he offers. That is my opinion anyway, and I take comfort that it is the view of others too. Top players from across the globe refer to him as one of the greatest ever.
“He was, last week, the focus of an article in The Times and, whilst the rest of the papers from the weekend have found their way into the recycling bin, that article has been kept out. My lasting impression, having read the article, was not Alun’s rugby accomplishments. The standout reference was a story from another Welsh rugby great, Jonathan Davis. What a player he was too. Jonathan mentions meeting Alun for a coffee recently and after the chat, noticing him clearing the tables next to him.
“This for me is the mark of a great person in any walk of life. A simple recognition of a need-to-do a job to help others, not because our position requires it or because there is a reward available, but because it is the right thing to do.
“Recently I have witnessed one or two things that have impressed me in the manners of some of our pupils from across the school, who themselves have been acknowledged for their successes in other columns. One, I can picture clearing up the hymn books in the Cathedral, another offering a handshake to acknowledge a parent, and a Sixth Former spontaneously helping some Junior pupils. These observations give me hope that we have amongst us pupils who will themselves clear the tables next to them over years to come, what ever else they go on to achieve.