THE rugby team of the moment has to be the Harlequins after their tremendous Heineken Cup double over Stade Francais and that fantastic final few minutes of the second game when they kept the ball for 29 phases before Nick Evans dropped the matchwinning goal.

And right at the heart of it - and every other game Harlequins play - is former Newport prop Ceri Jones who hails from a well known farming family at Llanbadoc just outside Usk.

Jones made 86 appearances for Newport between 1998 and 2003 before moving to London and joining the Harlequins where he has been ever since through the good times and the bad.

He has spent a season in the First Division when they were relegated, but they went straight back up into the Premiership and life under Dean Richards is now very good indeed.

Amazingly for the occupant of such a tough position Jones is an absolute ever-present member of the side. He is now well past 150 appearances and last year played more than any other player in the entire division!

He played in all 22 league games and the ones in Europe, replaced just once for all of 10 minutes! And this season he has played in every minute of every game.

“I just love playing,” said Jones with considerable understatement. “If I wasn’t where I am and getting paid for it I’d be playing for a team like Newport HSOB and working on the farm.

“There’s no real secret, the Harlequins look after us well, the training is very good and my desire is still there.

“It’s been tough at times, especially the year we got relegated but we came back up and we’re playing really well. There’s a good atmosphere here, a super stadium and a lot of quality players.”

And what about the Stade Francais double which has got everyone talking? It all began in front of a 78,000 crowd at the Stade de France when can-can girls and jousters were out on the pitch, but the Quins were even prepared for that surreal experience.

“I’d never experienced anything like it, there were can can girls and jousters who were really hitting one another off their horses, they weren’t pretending,” said Jones.

“But we had a psychologist in during the week who said they had done the same sort of thing for a game against Toulouse so we had an idea and it worked in our favour though it was still an amazing atmosphere full of excitement and drama.

“And the final stages last Saturday were just unbelievable. We got into their half and the call came to go for the dropped goal, but we had to get close enough and being so wet it was difficult.

“Nick (Evans) just took off and made good yardage, then we took it up a bit more but had to be patient.

“Nick was off again down the left and we thought we were going to score, but it was not to be and we went back across the field, then cut back in by which time we were out on our feet.

“Nick finally dropped for goal, it was an awful effort and we weren’t sure if it had gone over because Nick Easter and I were helping each other up off the floor, but when we realised it was over the celebrations really started.

“But there’s no rest and no time to reflect on anything because we’ve got Northampton away on Saturday, then Leicester on the 27th at Twickenham with 27,000 tickets sold already. You’ve just got to keep your head down and keep going.”

Jones is in talks with Harlequins about a contract extension and hopes to stay, enjoying life under England icon Dean Richards. “He doesn’t say a lot or smile a lot, but when he does say something you listen and he keeps our feet on the ground,” said Jones.

He has won just two Welsh caps, on tour in Australia last year, his only start being out of position at tight head. He still harbours hopes of another shot, though mindful that Cardiff Blues’ John Yapp seems to be in favour behind Gethin Jenkins.

“Dean has spoken to Warren Gatland and asked him to have a look at me,” he said. “I’m here, I’m available, they know where I am.”

So the ever-present Jones will keep ploughing on for a few more years yet. “Then I’ll definitely come back,” he said.

“My wife is also from a farming family nearby and my brother is on the family farm (his father is Lyn Jones the former Ebbw Vale and Newport lock).

“Farming is in my blood, but that’s some way off, I’m thoroughly enjoying it where I am.”