Scarlets attack coach Mark Jones has been added to Rob Howley's interim Wales coaching team for the upcoming Six Nations.
The former Wales wing will join Howley, Robin McBryde, Shaun Edwards and Neil Jenkins as part the defending champions' backroom staff during head coach Warren Gatland's temporary absence as he prepares for the British and Irish Lions' June tour to Australia.
Jones had already agreed to be part of the Wales coaching team during their two-Test tour to Japan in June but the Welsh Rugby Union came to an agreement with the Scarlets to allow him to come on board earlier than initially planned.
The 33-year-old will have specific responsibility for the Wales backs.
"Mark is an important addition to the coaching team," said Howley said.
"He has played the game at the highest level and developed his coaching skills during his time with the Scarlets. He is a 'hands-on coach' and understands how our environment works, which is important leading into the tournament.
"I would like to thank Simon Easterby (Scarlets head coach) for allowing Mark to join us and to start work immediately. We have always been an integrated coaching team, and Mark will be a great addition alongside Robin, Shaun and Neil."
Jones won 47 caps for Wales and featured in the 2003 and 2007 World Cups.
"I am looking forward to this exciting opportunity for me to develop further as a coach," said Jones.
"It will help me to explore new ideas and gain wider experience that I hope will, in turn, benefit my full-time role with the Scarlets region."
Comments
rugby_rockstar says...
I tend to agree that its not in the WRU's interest to have Mark Jones coaching wales at this time in his deevlopment. It is great for mark jones though. He'll learn alot. Its like Dia Young walking into the Cardiff blues job. Yeah, for a few seasons he was pants, But nobody would deny it shaped him into the well respected coach he is now.
Its not great if you are a welsh fan, but it won't do Mark any harm at all.
Posted 14:01 16th January 2013
melkdave says...
A good player in his day,forced to retire because of injury,lets hope he along with Howley can bring some dynaism to the welsh attack.Which has imo,become predictable imo.
Posted 13:48 16th January 2013
Celtictenor says...
This demonstrates yet again how desperately we need to develop native coaching staff. As I have written elsewhere, Messrs Henry, Hansen and Gatland (to say nothing of Sean Edwards) have done a enormous job for Wales, and we owe them a lot. But we need to have our own, and plenty of them, so that we can develop the strength-in-depth that the national team so badly lacks.
It seems that whenever Gatland is away (for whatever reason), the team's performance dips; and likewise as soon as our first choices are injured (far too often these days), the teams performance dips again.
Posted 11:34 16th January 2013
jontheref says...
What is it with picking, very nice guys, who(in his case anyway) were good players.
Bit like Howley and McBride, played tests, but cannot coach.
Posted 09:13 16th January 2013
jimbosim says...
Mark Jones - very good winger, sadly the Scarlets back line has been clueless this season with him in charge. God help Wales, if he gets his hands on their backs. Sorry don't want to be bad boy, but this is a bad call by Wales at a critical time :(
Posted 20:49 15th January 2013
carpelone says...
A daft p... who is not missed.
Posted 20:10 15th January 2013
rugby_rockstar says...
another brilliant player who had his rugby career curtailed by injury. And people moan that Billy Vunipola has gone to saracens becasue they offered him a better deal than wasps. Off topic, yes. But a pertinent point about professional rugby..
Posted 16:47 15th January 2013