An eight-year-old boy who had a day to forget during the autumn internationals will have one to remember when he leads Wales out against South Africa in Pretoria on Saturday.
Tomos Jones, from Sketty, in Swansea, will be the team mascot, walking out with skipper Dan Biggar for the first Test at Loftus Versfeld.
Back in November, he had an unhappy experience due to the drunken, foul-mouthed and anti-social behaviour he encountered at the Principality Stadium while attending the Wales-Australia match with his mother, Emma. Read the full story of what happened here.
But now the young Mumbles Under-9s player has a very special experience ahead of him. His dad Martyn, a rugby fan of some 40 years who has been to more than 300 Wales games, explains how it has all come about.
“I went to the debenture dinner at the stadium a week or so ago and I saw [WRU chief executive] Steve Phillips there," he told WalesOnline. "So I went up to him and said ‘we are going out for the Test series, is there any chance my son can be a mascot?’
“He said he would look into it. He gave me his email and his card. I emailed him the day after and he contacted me straight back to say he was going to see the squad and would come back to me.
“I was actually on the flight out then with Gerald Davies and he said to send a reminder email. I did that when we landed and, in fairness, Steve came back very quickly. They had obviously sorted it, via [team manager] Martyn Williams I am guessing. They gave me the contacts of the two people in the South African Rugby Union. We met up at Loftus and Tomos is going to be the mascot. He will be leading Wales out, walking out with Dan Biggar at the front of the team. I don’t think he quite realises how lucky he is yet!
“In fairness, for once, the WRU have come up trumps. Credit to them. They weren’t aware of what had happened in the autumn, as far as I am aware. I never brought it up.”
Mr Jones, a former player who coaches the juniors at Mumbles RFC, added: “The South African people have been brilliant. They are telling me it’s the first time they have ever had an overseas mascot for any Test match out there in their history.
“It’s a chance of a lifetime for Tomos. It’s going to be a full house and it should be a great atmosphere. This will be my 317th Test and I have always wanted to see Wales play at Loftus. It is one of the iconic rugby grounds of the world, so it ticks a box for me as well.
“It’s something very special for Tomos and very special for us as well to see him lead Wales out. In some ways it’s even more special being 6,500 miles from home. We are looking forward to it and hopefully it will be a good day.
“If we can have a Welsh victory, it would be a double of a first Welsh mascot and a first Welsh win on South African soil. Hopefully the boys will turn up and perform.”
The Jones family will be in South Africa for all three Tests, with trips to Bloemfontein and Cape Town to follow.
Read next:
- South Africa v Wales exact scoreline predicted as prop needs 'game of his life'
- The verdict on the shock Wales team to face South Africa as warrior returns and giants benched
- Dan Biggar wants to 'stick two fingers' up to Wales critics in first match since things went horribly wrong
- South Africa will expose Wales weaknesses but we know what's coming amid World Cup auditions
- 'He has massive heart!' Springbok stars pick the Wales players they really rate
