EASTERBY AND JONES CONFIRM COACHING ROLES WITH SCARLETS

Two career Scarlets, Simon Easterby and Mark Jones have confirmed they are retiring from rugby and will be taking their international playing experience and knowledge of the game and region into exciting new roles within the Scarlets coaching set-up.

Simon Easterby, 35, who captained the Scarlets for five consecutive seasons, now concludes a distinguished rugby career, having played more than 50 European games, 201 games (19 tries) for Llanelli and the Scarlets and remains Ireland’s most capped flanker with 65 caps for his country plus the honour of two British and Irish Lions caps.

He has been part of the Scarlets region since 1999. Easterby, who made his debut for Ireland in the 2000 Six Nations and retired from Test match rugby after the 2008 tournament, has lived and breathed rugby at the top level for more than a decade.

Easterby has now been officially confirmed as the Scarlets new Defence Coach and has signed a two-year contract with the region.  This follows the announcement on Monday of Wales Assistant Coach Robin McBryde as the Scarlets Forwards Coach next season.

Appointed as a player-coach with the Scarlets last season, Easterby sustained a knee injury in December last year which has since forced him to retire from the game. During more than six months out last season, the experienced flanker spent significant time with the Scarlets coaching team.

And Scarlets teammate, Mark Jones who took over from Easterby as captain last season, has received final confirmation from medics that his playing days are over.   The news and decision to retire from a brilliant rugby playing career at just 30 has been a difficult one for the popular winger from Builth Wells, as he felt he still had plenty to give as a player both with his region and for Wales.

Jones enjoyed 12 seasons with the Scarlets and was granted a testimonial year by his region last year.  A career Scarlet, Jones has been a 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.

The good news for the region’s supporters is that the motivated and energetic Scarlets back will not be missing from West Wales rugby next season and he will now be transferring his experience and knowledge into an exciting new career as a skills coach for the region on a two-year contract.

This will see him coach skills both at first-team level and with a wider responsibility within the Premiership teams, Academy and age-grade pathways for the region.  His role will be to enhance and cement key skills sets throughout the Scarlets system and promote consistency and excellence amongst up and coming young players.

Mark Jones said: “It is a double-edged announcement for me and it has taken some time to consider and I suppose accept that I am hanging up my boots finally, but ultimately the decision has been made for me and I have to retire from the game.  It does feel as though it has come a little prematurely and I was hitting some decent form last season before the injury, but maybe that will just leave people with fond memories of my playing career and in that sense I’m going out on a high point.

“It has been a great honour and privilege to play for my country and to be such a big part of this great club for many years, and I will look back and feel hugely proud of what I’ve achieved and experienced in rugby across the world.  I’ve enjoyed every minute.

“I am really excited about the challenges ahead and what I have to offer the Scarlets now as a new coach within the set-up.  I’ll be taking all that I have seen and learnt from my international days as well as my regional career and use what has motivated me as a player to help develop some great players of the future.

“I hope that as a professional fresh from the game, I understand the challenges players face today and to continue to be part of this great region and help push forward all the good things that are happening here is something will really motivate me.”

Scarlets Head Coach, Nigel Davies said: “The key to these two appointments is that we’ve retained the experience and calibre of two highly distinguished and experienced rugby professionals into our regional coaching set-up.

“The Scarlets philosophy is to develop our rugby future from within our region and provide opportunities for talented individuals, and this applies as much to our coaching team as it does our playing side and these two are outstanding Scarlets players that will have a lot to give us as emerging rugby coaches.

“They have a winning mentality ingrained within them. Both have achieved the highest honours in their careers and as international standard rugby professionals straight from the game will bring a big desire to succeed and an energetic and creative approach. Their understanding of today’s game, tactical awareness and how our players need to be motivated throughout the season will be valuable.

“Our new-look coaching team has a strong combination of experience and expertise at all levels together with fresh ideas and energy. I think it’s a good mix and will have a positive impact in helping drive our squad forward next season.”

Mark Jones and Simon Easterby join Nigel Davies, Robin McBryde, Brad Harrington (strength and conditioning) and Rob Appleyard, a WRU coach who moves from Llandovery RFC to a full-time role within the Scarlets set-up looking after skills development across the region alongside Mark Jones.

Easterby, who has earnt a reputation for his mental toughness as one of rugby’s great gladiators added: “I’ve had lots of individual challenges in my life and this is a new one.  I have always pushed myself hard and set myself high standards. I have been given this great new opportunity and hopefully I’ll retain the respect and integrity I’ve had over my playing career with our group of players and help them achieve more next season.

“Of course I’ll miss the buzz from being on the pitch, but there’s fresh motivation for me now and being a full-time coach brings new pressures and with it a new level of responsibility.

“My aim to prepare and push players to be the very best they can be.  And for me it will be using the same work ethic and drive I’ve had as a player and using my understanding of the game to help this squad achieve what it’s capable of.  I have worked with some of the best coaches in the game during my career and I’ve taken a lot from that.”

He added: “I learnt a lot last season being a player/coach but it’s not easy to have a foot in both camps.  I am now looking forward to concentrating on my coaching career and I’m very grateful for the opportunity that I have been given and the faith being shown in my ability.

“You have to constantly improve and evolve as a coach. I am eager to learn as much as I can and my ambition for this region and for this squad is as focused as when I was captain.  Coming fresh from the game has its advantages, hopefully I’ll coach with confidence and conviction.”

Easterby added that there were some great prospects and competition building in the back row with Rob McCusker and Josh Turnbull coming to the fore as well as Richie Pugh and Johnathan Edwards pushing for their places. Add to this the strength of big name players like David Lyons and Dafydd Jones, who is expected to return from injury later in the autumn and now new signing, Samoan international Jonny Fa’amatuainu.

Supporters will be able to show their appreciation and applau
d the contribution that Mark Jones has made to the Scarlets over more than a decade at his testimonial match at Parc y Scarlets when the Scarlets take on the Worcester Warriors on Saturday 21^st August 2010 in a pre-season friendly.  Tickets on sale at the Scarlets ticket office 0871 871 8088.