Huw Jones said his time out of the international set-up will make earning a 50th cap all the more special this weekend.
Having initially announced himself on the international stage with two stunning tries on his first start against Australia back in 2017, and a further three scores followed inside his first 10 appearances for Scotland.
But just a couple of years ago, Jones found himself displaced at Test level, and playing out of position at Harlequins.
Townsend opted for the superior defensive skills of Chris Harris in the number 13 jersey, with Jones either confined to a bit-part role from the bench or out of the squad altogether.
After playing 19 minutes of Scotland’s win over France in 2021 – their first in Paris during the Six Nations era – Jones did not feature for Scotland again until the Six Nations of last year.
He said during that time, he thought his international career was over.
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But a return to Glasgow and the formation of the Huwipulotu partnership alongside Sione Tuipulotu has breathed new life into Jones' career for club and country.
As he did on his first Test start, Jones announced his return with a try in the 2023 Calcutta Cup win at Twickenham and finished that campaign with another three tries as he played all-but five minutes of Scotland’s campaign.
As he prepares for his half-century this weekend, Jones reflected on a rollercoaster international career so far.
"When I first came into the squad, my first few caps came quite quickly and it seemed fairly straightforward.
“Then you get a few setbacks, couple of injuries, a couple of times when you don’t get selected, and it really makes you appreciate it a lot more. I’ll never take for granted being picked for the squad and getting picked for a game.
“To get to this point with a lot of the setbacks I’ve had and extended periods where I wasn’t even in any training squads and got to the point where I thought I’d maybe played my last game for Scotland.
“To have turned that around and to have this run of playing consistently over the last two years has been absolutely amazing.
“To reach 50 caps has been a goal of mine for a while. Obviously a few years ago it probably didn’t seem realistic, but yeah, to get to this point is amazing.”
Jones, 30, admitted there were difficult days when he thought the door had been closed on his Test career.
“I remember thinking at the time that it was upsetting that my career hadn’t gone the way that I wanted it to, and that I thought it should have gone, but in a way I had sort of made peace with the fact that was my international career was probably over so I just needed to focus on club rugby and enjoy playing club rugby for the rest of my career.
“The only way you get back into the squad is by playing and playing well, and in the end that’s what I did and I managed to find a way back.
“It didn’t just happen, it came through a lot of hard work, but that makes it all the more special that I can track my progress throughout my career, with all these ups and downs and how hard I’ve worked to come back from each setback – it makes it all the more special.”
July 27 will not only see Jones celebrate reaching 50 caps for his country, it is also his second wedding anniversary to wife Annabel.
They welcomed their first child Romy in April and while he’s enjoyed four weeks on tour, Jones is looking forward to returning to Glasgow for some well-earned rest.
“I do miss my family - I have a baby daughter at home, so I’m missing her and looking forward to seeing her again next week,” he said.
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