AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Alun Wyn Jones will take his place among some of the greats to have worn the British & Irish Lions jersey when he runs out at Eden Park on Saturday as he features in his ninth consecutive Lions Test match.
It is a feat Rob Howley hails as an "unbelievable" and "very special achievement". The man himself would not be drawn on the achievement when asked about it. "It's just another game," Jones said. "You're as good as your next one, not your previous, so I'll focus on the next one and not the ones that have gone to be honest."
Nor would he pause to assess a quite remarkable run. "You're in the middle of it now, and I'll enjoy it, but it's not a time to reflect, because nothing has really been achieved yet," Jones said. "There's still opportunities to fall at a final hurdle. So I'll just focus on the game and being part of the team."
Jones' first cap came in the opening Test of the 2009 series when the Lions lost to the Springboks in Durban. He was benched for the next game in Pretoria, but came on as a 45th-minute replacement and went on to feature again in their victorious third Test in Johannesburg.
In 2013 Jones started all three Tests against the Wallabies and captained the Lions in their series-clinching triumph in Sydney. This time around he has started both Tests and starred against the All Blacks in Wellington. That performance came after Warren Gatland called on him to re-find his best form after the Lions struggled for physicality in the opening Test defeat at Eden Park.
It is the manner in which he bounced back and took his game up another notch which so impresses Howley as they continue preparing for Saturday's series decider back at Eden Park.
"That's the experience of Alun Wyn isn't it? He spoke about his own performance over the last four or five weeks," Howley said. "And in adversity you find out about players and coaches, and he's been able to dust himself off, and mentally get in a place where he needs to be.
"And I thought you saw from a physicality perspective and his decision-making last week, that it was an excellent performance. We probably need to go another level in every department and we all understand that.
"And Alun Wyn has been outstanding, obviously he's a very intelligent rugby player.
"There's strong balance in that second row, with Maro [Itoje], with his physicality, energy and skill-set. That's something that we've said over the last 12 months, the point of difference when you play New Zealand is the front-five.
"It's the skill-set, it's the energy and what they bring. And at this moment in time we feel we're matching them in that area, and which allows us to play.
"That was important last weekend, and that's the challenge once again. It's a new game and a new experience and that will need to happen on Saturday."
Jones now sits among a pantheon of Lions legends having started nine consecutive Test matches across three separate tours. But don't expect the great second row to pat himself on the back, it's up to others to do that. "Alun Wyn, that achievement on the weekend, it's something which is very special," said Howley. "He joins a unique group of players, when you look at Mike Gibson, Willie John McBride, Gareth Edwards.
"For Alun Wyn to achieve what he's done on the weekend is something which is magic. It's quite unbelievable."