Lewis Jones was thrilled to cap his 100th Cardiff Blues appearances with a try - but more importantly a bonus-point win in the Heineken Champions Cup.
The tenacious scrum-half was introduced in the second-half against Lyon and snatched an opportunist try within minutes of coming on.
It put the victory, in Cardiff Blues final Champions Cup encounter, beyond doubt and was a fitting moment for one of the unsung heroes at Cardiff Arms Park, who has battled injury and fierce competition to reach his milestone.
Jones said: “I’m very proud. It’s quite a good achievement when you look at the people who have a 100 caps for this region and I feel privileged to have done it myself.
“I’ve had good advice off a friend, which is to never be a cap counter! I never really thought of it but it’s a big achievement and when you get nearer to it you do start to think about it… it’s a proud moment.
“The competition here is really tough – Tomos and Lloyd have been doing really well and Dane is pushing all the way.
“You have to take the games when they come and thankfully I’ve managed to do it. I had the injury (ACL reconstruction) but that’s the way rugby goes.
“Tomos and Lloyd are both brilliant players and all they are doing Is making me a better player. Competition is always healthy, we all get on both on and off the pitch, we help each other out, I learn off them and hopefully they learn something off me.”
Jones’ try came in fortuitous circumstances but it was testament to the Beddau-product’s never-say-die attitude.
A clever Anscombe chip released two-try hero Aled Summerhill down the left but his inside pass went yards forward. That did not deter Jones however, who pounced on the ball in the in goal area and replays proved the pass went forward off a Lyon hand.
He said: “I think everyone else stopped, I was the only one that carried on and thankfully it was one of their players that touched it. It’s brilliant to get a try on my 100th game but more important it was a good win.”
Attention now turns to the Guinness PRO14 and ensuring Cardiff Blues qualify for the top tier of Europe once more.
They are currently in a battle to break into the all-important top three but some crucial games lie ahead beginning with next week’s home clash against Connacht.
Jones added: “When you see the teams we’ve played this year… Glasgow, Saracens and the other teams in it, Leinster, Toulon, these are the teams we want to be up against and challenging every week.
“With the Six Nations no it’s going to be a big, important block and we have to get some good wins to push ourselves up the table to secure this tournament again next year.
“As a squad it’s important time, we will lose some good players but we have a good squad that can get some crucial wins to push us up the table.”
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