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Alun Wyn Jones has been named 2019 Guinness Six Nations player of the Championship after leading Wales to the third Grand Slam of the Warren Gatland era.<\/p>\nAlun Wyn Jones has been named 2019 Guinness Six Nations player of the Championship after leading Wales to the third Grand Slam of the Warren Gatland era.<\/p>\n
Jones polled higher in the public vote than team-mates Hadleigh Parkes, Josh Adams and Liam Williams, while England duo Jonny May and Tom Curry were also on the six-strong shortlist drawn up by the media.<\/p>\n
The 33-year-old second row was at the heart of Wales\u2019 first tournament clean sweep since 2012.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very flattered. For me as Wales captain it\u2019s a validation of what we\u2019ve done as a squad throughout the campaign,\u201d said Jones, who received a newly-sculptured trophy.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be up there as a nominee with three other Welsh players and two outstanding players from England would have been more than enough and I\u2019m very grateful to the people who have taken the time to vote.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was during the recent Grand Slam march that Jones broke the previous milestone of 61 for most Test wins in a Wales jersey by any player and he has amassed 134 caps for Wales and the British and Irish Lions, equaling Gethin Jenkins\u2019 record combined total for the same teams.<\/p>\n
He is now only the fourth Wales player to win three Six Nations Grand Slams, following in the footsteps of Jenkins, Ryan Jones and Adam Jones.<\/p>\n
Jones succeeds Ireland\u2019s Jacob Stockdale as winner of player of the year and becomes the fifth Welshman to be acclaimed since Gordon D\u2019Arcy \u2013 also of Ireland \u2013 landed the inaugural award in 2004.<\/p>\n
England finished runners-up hence the inclusion of May, who finished top try scorer with six, and the Six Nations\u2019 outstanding open side in Curry.<\/p>\n