Ex-Munster coach Felix Jones tipped for Gloucester coaching role

FORMER Munster full-back and coach Felix Jones has been tipped to take up a new coaching role at Premiership side Gloucester Rugby.

Reports this Wednesday indicate that 32-year-old Jones is on Gloucester Rugby's short list to become defence coach with the Cherry and Whites.

South Africa announced at the start of this year that Jones will remain part of their coaching team in 2020. However, his role has shifted to become 'a European-based coaching consultant', meaning he and his young family will not have to uproot and move to South Africa.

Former assistant coach Jacques Nienaber was named as South Africa's new head coach with his predecessor, Rassie Erasmus, now national director of rugby.

Erasmus and Nienaber coached at Munster from 2016 until late 2017 before returning to their native South Africa.

Jones was appointed defence consultant with the Springboks' last August ahead of the 2019 World Cup where he played a key role in South Africa's success.

Felix Jones retired from playing professional rugby in 2015 following advice from specialists after sustaining a second neck injury in his career.

Jones moved from Leinster’s academy to Munster in 2009 and impressed greatly in his early appearances. Six games into his Munster career Jones suffered a serious neck injury against Connacht that nearly finished his career.

The 2010/2011 season was a breakthrough one for Jones as he starred in Munster’s Magners League winning season, beating Leinster in the May final.

He made his debut for Ireland that Autumn and was in with a chance of a World Cup place but injury struck once more in a warm up game against France,

Jones made 13 appearances in all for Ireland and was a part of the 2015 victorious Six Nations squad.

In all, Jones made 90 appearances for Munster and scored 10 tries.

At the end of his playing career, Jones went straight into coaching with Munster, where he helped the team to reach three consecutive Heineken Cup semi-finals before leaving the province in 2019.

In 2017 he was as an assistant coach to the Irish national coaching team for their summer tour.