Alan Wyn Jones says he hopes Wales’ latest run to the World Cup quarter-finals does not hide the gaps in the “deeper-rooted issues” in rugby that need to be addressed in Welsh rugby.

The second-row talisman will captain the Barbarians against Wales this weekend as he bids farewell to his fans after announcing his international retirement earlier this year. If not their last game together, it will also be one of their last with World Rugby’s most capped player on the field, and the 38-year-old says he will likely hang up his boots after a short-term deal. . with Toulon it soon ends.

“Definitely in Wales,” he admits. “I’ve got two more weeks in Wales with Toulon and that’s left in the World Cup period, no one’s complaining about it continuing after that, so it’ll be me. I’m grateful that Toulon gave me the opportunity. I know what I want. I definitely did that without making the impact of some of the players or achieving what they did. I never thought I would go to France and have such a small opportunity to do so.

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While Jones was pleased to see Wales reach the play-offs after a turbulent year, he hopes it does not overshadow the bigger problems in Welsh rugby, ironically pointing this out ahead of the match organized by the Welsh Rugby Union, which will clash with the Welsh derby this weekend.

“I’m really pleased with the success of the players in what has been a difficult year for Welsh rugby,” he said of Wales’ World Cup success. — I just hope this doesn’t close the cracks, because there are deeper problems that need to be resolved.

“Obviously not just in Wales, but in mid-Wales. I hope it’s stronger and doesn’t cover the cracks with paper; we will finish the cycle; We continue to perform well every four years, but we have another drought in between. I just hope everything goes in the right direction with a group of young players, I think they can achieve a lot. Now I’m a fan, I’m a fan of international sports. I was when I played, but now I’m just a fan.

“It doesn’t matter, I just worry if you’re a manager, a player or a fan, people get excited about Wales and what they believe in because they don’t care. “I care about Welsh sport, rugby, and I want to make sure it’s in the best place it can be.”

When asked if he would be interested in getting involved in rugby management when he is done playing, he admitted: “I don’t know about that and I don’t know in what capacity.

“You need to make extra effort in certain areas to achieve this type of impact. “It depends on what it takes, there are a lot of things like financial issues, and we just have to make sure we support the well-being of the players and the players on the front line, that’s the main thing for me.”

On Saturday, Jones will make his third appearance for the famous invitational club this year, having played for the Barbarians against the World XV and Swansea RFC during the summer. The latter, almost, was Jones’ swan song during a brief stay in the south of France.

“That’s funny,” he said. “As Scott (Robertson, Barbarians coach) said, there are a lot of players who get called up but don’t let them go. I do this now because I had the opportunity, but I couldn’t do it both times. Once because I was injured. after the World Cup and once because it was after the World Cup, but I rested.

“The World XV game was fantastic and three days later we had a game against Swansea. To be honest, I thought it was the last one. In the end I did Shane (Williams): it’s the last, the last, the last. There were three different moments, but they all felt the same.

“Everyone came here just to play. In a way, it’s surreal, but with the Baa-Baas you’re almost more connected in a way. That kind of resonates, especially as players, because the higher you go, the more I have to cross, and I have to do that.

“When you walk into Baa-Baas, you just say ‘here’s the ball’ and there might be a beer or two. “You’re having fun, but you know what you’re representing.”