Stephen Jones and Jonathan Humphreys join Wayne Pivac’s Wales set-up to succeed Warren Gatland
Pivac has announced the two former Wales internationals as part of his backroom team that will take control of the national side following the 2019 Rugby World Cup
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Your support makes all the difference.Wayne Pivac will have a wealth of experience alongside him when he replaces Warren Gatland as Wales head coach after former internationals Stephen Jones and Jonathan Humphreys were appointed to his backroom staff.
Current Scarlets boss Pivac will take charge of the Wales side when Gatland ends his eventual 11-year reign after next year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan.
As had been widely expected, former Wales fly-half Jones, who has 104 caps to his name as well as six British and Irish Lions tests, will follow him to the national set up, meaning he will leave the Scarlets at the end of the current season, while ex-hooker Humphreys will leave Scottish side Glasgow Warriors where he is assistant to Dave Rennie, meaning Pivac will have nearly 140 international caps worth of experience to draw upon.
“Both are very experienced and successful coaches with great playing careers. Both are Welsh and very passionate rugby men,” said New Zealander Pivac, who added that the process of appointing the duo was “a fairly quick exercise”.
“I think that has shown through and they will offer a lot to the national team.”
Jones will succeed former Wales and Lions scrum-half Rob Howley as backs coach while Humphreys will take charge of the forwards, and the Welsh Rugby Union also announced that both Neil Jenkins and Paul Stridgeon, the current kicking coach and head of physical performance, will stay on to continue under Pivac’s reign.
That continuity is set to start much earlier than expected as the entire team will fulfil a watching brief at the Rugby World Cup in order to smooth over the changing of the guard.
“We’ll be officially on board – on the payroll so to speak – from July,” said Pivac. “A lot of work is being done behind the scenes, things that are beneficial in terms of planning post-Rugby World Cup.
“There are regions to get around and build relationships with.
“But we’ve got roles with the Scarlets and Glasgow until the end of the season and that is the main priority for all of us.”
The announcement will see Humphreys return to Wales after seven years in Scotland, firstly with the national team under Vern Cotter before switching to Rennie’s Glasgow set-up.
“What I’ve learned (in Scotland) is that the relationship between players, unions and coaches is a massive one,” Humphreys said. “The most we can get out there and be with the players day-to-day with the clubs is really key for the role.
“The chance to coach my country is something I never thought I’d have the opportunity to do, but I want to get out there and develop a relationship with the regions.”
Jones meanwhile remains part of Pivac’s current Scarlets staff. Despite being announced as a Wales coach-in-waiting, he still had to bat away questions about the regional side’s form this season, having seen them fail to build on last season’s Champions Cup semi-final and Pro14 final appearances.
“I don’t think Wayne’s appointment has anything to do with our injury list,” Jones said. “Our injuries have been well documented, and the boys are fully aware that Wayne is going onto an international role and are desperate to prove their value to him.
“It’s not had one negative effect on the group.”
Pivac is yet to choose a defence coach to replace Shaun Edwards, who has already announced that he will take charge of rugby league side Wigan Warriors after the World Cup has finished. However, the clear favourite for the role remains Byron Hayward, who has proven an integral part of the Scarlets set-up alongside Pivac – who like Jones agreed a new contract with the club in November 2017 that runs until summer 2020.
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