Hayes is joint second with Brian O’Driscoll on Ireland’s all-time cap list with 82 appearances for the emerald isle, nine short of lock Malcolm O’Kelly.
And at the age of 34 Hayes’s vast experience as Ireland’s most capped prop cannot be discounted. Jenkins is ready for a tough encounter at Croke Park on Saturday when he scrums down with him.“People say Hayes is one of their weaknesses but with 80 caps he’s the cornerstone of their pack and he’s been the first choice tight-head in Ireland for years and years,” said Jenkins.
“He’s a great player at what he does. He’s a really strong scrummager, he’s a good lifter in the line-out and he’s a massive guy on the field.”
Jenkins and the Welsh forwards have been receiving special treatment from Warren Gatland this week, allowed a lie-in before perfecting their line-outs to counter the play of players like Hayes.
“He’s a massive player for them and he’s a challenge for us,” reiterated Jenkins, who will win his 57th cap on Saturday and is delighted to have reclaimed a starting berth.
“It’s been a tough battle to get my place back after not starting the first two games,” he said. “I’m glad to be back in the team and the pressure’s on now to keep the jersey for the France game.
“We came in Monday and the backs had already been in and I think they’d already been told the team. The forwards came in a bit later to work on our line-outs. [Gatland] does look after the forwards, we’re always in quite late in the morning. In the middle of our line-out session he called us over and let us know the team.”It is not just the media Gatland has been keeping in the dark with his selection policy.
“I didn’t have a clue to be honest what the team was going to be,” said Jenkins. “I think that’s a good thing because nobody knew coming into training on Monday what the team was. I’m chuffed to be starting.”
Starting is one thing; scoring tries is another. Ryan Jones said this week he didn’t care who scored the tries so long as they kept coming. But Jenkins, who has three to his name since his debut in 2002, confessed: “I’ve given up. I haven’t scored for a season and a half now. I’m always trying for one. I think if you try for 20 you might get one.
The Blues player will settle for simply getting one over on John Hayes and continuing Wales’s rehabilitation. “We’ve come long way from the World cup even though it’s only been three or four months,” he said. “We’ve got to keep building on this because in two games it could all turn round a bit.”
It could turn round a bit, or it could see Wales win Triple Crown and Grand Slam glory, as they did against Ireland in 2005.
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