ADAM Jones has been backed for a bright future as one of Wales' top rugby referees.

The former Sport Powys development officer will take charge of his first Pro14 game on Sunday when the Ospreys host the Dragons.

Ahead of the game, international referee Nigel Owens described Jones as referee with a bright future ahead of him.

Owens said: "Adam has a lot of potential and he has a nice manner about him on the field. He’ll have a lot of big personalities to deal with on Sunday, but he won’t let the players bully him

"I like the way be goes about his business – he’s quiet and respectful.

"Sunday will be a difficult game to referee, given it is a big Welsh derby, but I know the game will be about the players and not him."

Owens revealed he had been in contact with the Powys based official and passed on his advice.

“I really do think he is one for the future and I’ve got a lot of confidence in him," said Owens. "We’ve talked about this weekend’s matches and the only advice I’ve given him is not to change anything he has been doing and not to go into the game thinking he can’t make a mistake.

"It’s impossible not to make a mistake, we all do, and I know I’m going to make a few at Parc y Scarlets. The key thing is to get right the things that really matter."

Owens said while it would take time for the sport to settle following lockdown he was confident players would adapt.

He said: "It is important to get people back into the stadiums to watch live rugby, but they will only return if they are going to enjoy what they are seeing.

"For coaches and players there is a difficult balance to get right between winning and entertaining.

“For a referee it is all about having the empathy with the players to know what not to blow for to make the game better to play in and to watch.

"Fans will come to watch winning teams, but they also want their rugby to be easy on the eye.”