PERHAPS it is how Adam Jones' time on the Test scene came to an end rather than the retirement itself.

It has been an unedifying affair with neither the Wales management nor the 34-year-old tighthead prop exactly covering themselves in glory.

Jones surprisingly announced his international retirement in the Sunday Times after failing to make the cut for the Six Nations and Warren Gatland, who says the prop was not out of his thoughts in World Cup year, is refusing to try and bring him back as he did with Martyn Williams.

Samson Lee is going to be touch and go for England 2015 so there will be six more months of the debate such is his popularity with the Welsh rugby public. Maybe the mediating skills of Ian Ritchie, the RFU chief executive who helped bring about the conclusion of the European club rugby spat, are needed.

But would Jones, a great of the game, let alone a Welsh great, add value to the current squad? Maybe. And that's the issue, it's now only a maybe.

When Wales had a scrum five metres from their line at the end of the win against Ireland who would you rather have on the right end of the front row, Aaron Jarvis or Adam Jones? Probably the latter.

But when Wales were defending 45 phases of Irish pressure inside their own 22 which prop would you prefer? Sadly not Adam Jones.

When Leinster played Cardiff Blues in the capital in January there was a damaging moment when Jones was caught snoozing at a ruck, enabling Jimmy Gopperth to go sniping through to create a try. Such things stick in Gatland's mind.

Jones hasn't exactly been a roaring success at the Arms Park and last summer, when those of us of a Newport Gwent Dragons persuasion were hoping he'd head to Rodney Parade, seems a long time ago.

The Dragons have been better served by signing South African Brok Harris, who can hold his own in the tight, is durable and has been excellent around the park.

The change to the engagement process has diminished the importance of the tighthead at the scrum and it is now the loosehead who is often said to be the cornerstone.

Perhaps Gatland is wise to be concentrating on Rhodri Jones, Jarvis, Scott Andrews and Tomas Francis (who currently faces the same questions over his fitness as Jones).

There is still time for Jones to return – and what a story it would be if he added to his 95 caps – but it could just be time to move on.

SHAUN Edwards enjoyed great success when with Wigan in the 1980s and 1990s yet the same coach wasn't at the helm throughout the Cherry and Whites' dominance of the Challenge Cup.

Sometimes things need to be freshened up; players need a change and so do the managers.

So who knows what was going through Edwards' mind when the rugby league legend raised the issue of his contract as Wales' defence coach expiring at the end of the World Cup.

There is no denying that Edwards has been a huge figure since joining Warren Gatland's management team in 2008 and he is genuinely player-centred; he empowers them and isn't just an angry, shouty man.

But the current coaching team have been together for an unusually long time and it could be time for some fresh blood whether defence, attack or forwards.

The ideal time to do that would be after a World Cup, regardless of whether Wales make it out of their nightmare pool containing hosts England, bogey team Australia and tricky customers Fiji.