But it is club mate Craig Mitchell that will be in the No. 3 shirt again for the visit of Declan Kidney’s men to the Millennium Stadium despite Jones’ run out.

However Gatland has hinted that Jones could yet play a part in this year’s tournament with a trip to Stade de France on March 19 still to come for Wales.

“Adam only had 20 minutes the other day and he admitted himself he was a bit off the pace,” said Gatland.

“We all know what Adam Jones can do and we all know what his quality is but it’s quite hard to throw a player in at the deep end that hasn’t played for eight weeks – it’s a consideration for us.

“Weight-wise he is not too bad but his body fat has gone up a little, which is a bit of a concern for us before he plays international rugby.

“I’ve not even thought about France yet but it’s a possibility he could be involved.”