Gethin Jenkins has not been given to outbursts of emotion during a first-class career that started at the beginning of the century, so he was never likely to bite on the observation that he was closing in on Richie McCaw’s international cap record of 148.
Jenkins, who turns 36 on 17 November, will join the former New Zealand hooker Keven Mealamu on 132 caps if he plays against Australia at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, and he is set to start because Rob Evans is missing the entire autumn series through injury. That would leave George Gregan (139), Brian O’Driscoll (141) and McCaw ahead of him.
“Getting higher and higher does not motivate me,” said Jenkins, who made his Wales debut in 2002 when Keelan Giles, the wing who has been training with the squad after impressing for Ospreys this season, was four. “The big thing for me was getting to 100; any player would cherish that. I just look forward to each game and try to enjoy it.”
After last year’s World Cup the Wales head coach, Warren Gatland, said he was working out a retirement plan for Jenkins on the assumption that he would not be around for the 2019 World Cup in Japan but the prop is playing like someone in his mid-20s. He has never been the most avid of scrummagers but his work in the loose remains that of a back-row rather than a prop and time has yet to take his stamina hostage. He has no thoughts of retirement and has signed a contract extension with Cardiff Blues.
“A number of ex-players have told me to keep going for as long as I can,” said Jenkins. “My whole life has been rugby, to the detriment of everything else; that is not going to change and being back in the Wales environment, it goes up another level again. Even with the region rugby is on your mind pretty much all the time and the challenge is to switch off for a little bit. The game is so intense these days with every game a crunch one. Everything is directed to winning.
“I would not swap the lifestyle and will never complain about it. You are doing what you love and what you started playing for when it was not your job. It does get hard and sometimes you have a moan about the scheduling and stuff but then you realise why you are doing it, running out on to the field at the weekend. Games are the big motivation for me and I get the same feeling before one now as I did when I started; that is what I will miss. At this stage of my career, you appreciate every game you have left and some people get only one opportunity to play for their country.”
Jenkins’s longevity is notable not only because he plays in the front row, where the strain on the back and neck is formidable, but for his impact at the breakdown, clearing out rucks and winning turnovers, and the tackles he makes. He is approaching 400 matches in his senior career, a figure few professionals hit.
“I am not sure why I have been able to go on so long,” he said. “I used to get looked after at the Blues in my younger days when Dai Young was in charge. He would rest me for a few away games when there was not too much on them and since turning 30 I have looked after myself a lot better than I did in my early years.
“You pick up things over time that you can use to keep yourself going and make sure that, when you get on to the field, you are in the best state physically and mentally that you can be.”
Gatland has taken a sabbatical with Wales as he plots the way for the Lions to defeat New Zealand in next year’s series. Jenkins has been picked on the last three tours, although injury meant he did not play a match in 2013. Dare he dream of a rare fourth trip? “I am just looking at the autumn series,” he said. “You need to impress to play in the Six Nations next year and it has always been the case that every [home union] player in the championship has a chance to impress the Lions.”
Before then is the little matter of Australia, Argentina, Japan and South Africa for Wales, a schedule that does not appear quite as daunting as in past years with the Wallabies and the Springboks falling further behind New Zealand and the Pumas playing entertaining but not winning rugby. It is eight years since Wales defeated Australia and in 14 Tests against them Jenkins has only once been on the winning side.
“Australia had it tough in the Rugby Championship but they have put a couple of better performances in recently and were unlucky against New Zealand last weekend. We know from our experiences against them how good a team they are and how hard they are to beat. We have a poor recent record against them in terms of results but most of the games have been close and there are no psychological issues. They start a month that will be hard on the body and the mind.”
