Scarlets' Mark Jones called up to Wales coaching team for Six Nations

The 33-year old former winger with Scarlets and Wales who has 47 international caps to his name and 164 appearances for his region, has been coaching the Scarlets with great success since he retired from rugby in 2010.

He has been committed to the Scarlets as a player and then coach for more than a decade.

Mark Jones will join Rob Howley and his coaching team for the duration of the RBS 6 Nations Tournament as Assistant Coach (backs) before returning back to his region. Jones has also been signed up by Wales this summer for Wales' two-test tour of Japan.

The role for Mark Jones is seen as an opportunity to boost the dynamic skills coach's career development as well as offering a proven level of expertise to the international coaching mix and a fresh outlook and new ideas to benefit Wales.

Jones said: "I'm very grateful to the Scarlets for allowing me to take this exciting opportunity. It can only benefit the region if I push myself forward, take on new challenges and develop further as a coach.

"It will help me gain new ideas and experience which I believe will benefit my full-time role with the Scarlets.

"It will be a privilege to work with the Welsh team and a group of talented international players and coaches. To be part of your national rugby set-up as a player or a coach is a huge honour and it's valuable to have close working links between the region and the WRU.

"I'll still be in close contact with the team at Parc y Scarlets during the Six Nations and will be providing any thoughts and advice I can offer.

Jones said he was looking forward to working with the international players, many of them known well to him from the Scarlets but also some new faces from across the four regions.

He said: "It's a great opportunity to get a different perspective from working with a wide range of international players and to get their views as well getting some fresh ideas. All of this I hope will be good for the Scarlets in the long-term."

Scarlets Head Coach Simon Easterby said the region fully supported the opportunity that Jones has been handed with Wales.

Head Coach Easterby said: "Mark has a lot to offer - he's a coach with a great enthusiasm for and commitment to the game in Wales. He'll work hard with Wales but will also stay in close contact with us and support our progress because it's so important to him.

"Developing and challenging ourselves as coaches and players is a key philosophy in our region. Mark will come back to us with new experience, ideas and confidence which will only benefit the Scarlets."

The Scarlets has called-in additional experienced Welsh coaching resource to cover for Mark Jones while he is away with Wales which the region says will also bring a fresh injection of ideas and experience to benefit the region and the players not on international duty during an important phase in the LV=Cup and RaboDirect PRO12.

The Scarlets will announce details of the additional coaching experience secured for the region during the Six Nations in due course.

Career Scarlet Jones enjoyed 12 seasons with his region is hugely popular amongst fellow players and supporters, playing 164 times for his region and scoring 425 points (85 tries). He played his first Scarlets game against Saracens on 26 August 1998. He has won 47 caps for Wales, scoring 13 tries for his country and was part of the Grand Slam winning team in 2008.