Alun Wyn Jones: Wales lock expects 'line in the sand' from Wayne Pivac
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Alun Wyn Jones made his 162nd international appearance against Italy with his 150th Wales caps supplemented by 12 British and Irish Lions Tests
Wales lock Alun Wyn Jones believes head coach Wayne Pivac will "draw a line in the sand" in terms of his 2023 World Cup selection planning.
Wales ended a forgettable Six Nations campaign with a 22-21 defeat against Italy.
World champions South Africa are next up for Wales in July, with Tests scheduled in Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Cape Town.
"It will be interesting to see what happens in the summer," said Jones.
The 36-year-old Jones won a record 150th Wales cap in the Italy defeat on his first appearance more than four months after suffering a shoulder injury.
Jones confirmed he is contracted until the World Cup in France next year and aiming for a fifth global tournament.
Pivac will have to decide whether the squad he has needs overhauling.
"Wayne has been pretty candid up to this point with the amount of changes he has made," added Jones.
"We suffered a bit of pain with results, but I am sure he is going to draw a line in the sand moving forward and select a squad he is going to build for the World Cup.
"We are just over 18 months out [from the World Cup], so I assume he is going to shave that squad down to the people they want to work with.
"But I don't think you can be too brazen in saying that because we are a small player base anyway. So you always have to be conscious of that."
Six Nations highlights: Wales 21-22 Italy
Whether Jones will be on the three-Test tour remains to be seen, while Ospreys are touring South Africa in the next two weeks.
"I had a plan to get to this point," said Jones. "Probably because I've been injured, I probably need to adjust that and see what happens this summer.
"I didn't play in the autumn and had less games than I would have liked in the Six Nations.
"It purely depends on whether Wayne wants to take me or not. I am sure we will find out in due course."
A year after they won the Six Nations, Wales must reflect on a fifth-placed finish, losing four games and scoring just eight tries.
Italy, meanwhile, ended a run of 16 successive defeats against them and toppled Wales for the first time since 2007.
"It can definitely get better, I won't pull any punches on that," added Jones.
"I think we have to rewind 12 months. There was this big thing about giving opportunities to players and getting the strength in depth which we haven't had.
"The melting pot of players is larger. It is down to us then, or Wayne, to get the squad and essentially put a better product on the park.
"I think it's perceptions. Results promote chatter and opinion. The inevitable criticism? That will come, it always does.
"Had we won with a plethora of points, it would have been the other way then and focused on the opposition.
"There is inevitably going to be that critique, but that's what comes with playing professional rugby in Wales.
"We won a championship last year, but that seems to be forgotten pretty quickly."
Alun Wyn Jones on his 150th Wales cap with his two daughters
Jones was able to walk out with his daughters Mali and Efa, but the winning result did not materialise.
"That's the focus, obviously," said Jones. "A lot has been said about the milestone and the emotive stuff.
"It was about the rugby and the win. Being one of the players coming into the squad you try to add to everything.
"On a personal level I'm disappointed with the result and you have to focus on the rugby."
On how he felt on the field after being brought in for Will Rowlands, Jones added: "I enjoyed it. It was a quick start. I felt pretty good. I am sure people will disagree with that.
"I will have to have a look to be more precise with my self-critique."
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