 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  | |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  | |  |
The towering No8, who is unlikely to feature in the early rounds of the tournament due to a shoulder injury, is in pragmatic mood ahead of the Ospreys opening tie against Bourgoin at the Liberty Stadium.
He said: ''Last season we lost one away game and drew one home game and we went out. All we can do is go out to win every game, one at a time, because there is no room for slip ups in this competition and you can't allow yourselves to get into a position where you are relying on other people.
They used to say you had to win your home games and try and sneak a result or two away from home. That's not enough anymore. For us to progress to the last eight we're going to have to go to places like Kingsholme, Ravenhill and France and get results''.
This year's Ospreys squad is widely acknowledged to be the strongest that has entered the Heineken Cup and Jones sees that depth as a massive advantage.
He said: ''Teams that have done well in this competition in the past are those who that have had large, but more importantly, competitive squads. You can be sure that the fifteen players that go out to face Bourgoin in the opening group game will not be the same fifteen players that play against Bourgoin in the final group game and the competition for places can only bring the best out of people.
Not everyone can play all of the time but that's just part of professional sport and, having said that, we play a 22-man game nowadays and having a bench that can come on and affect the game is an imperative''.
Jones' injury meant he missed the recent World Cup in France, but he recognises that the large Ospreys contingent that was in the Wales squad will inevitably have a lingering hangover from that disappointment.
He said: ''Obviously the boys were disappointed but if there are any demons hanging around their closets then what an opportunity to banish them this great tournament offers.
The matches are of very similar standard to international rugby and as a professional you thrive on the intensity, the pressure and the big crowds that accompany Heineken Cup matches.
I think the boys showed at Worcester in the EDF Cup match last week exactly what frame of mind they are in, and when the whistle blows to start the Bourgoin game we'll be ready''.
