Jones, 28, left the Scarlets in August 2004 to expand his rugby horizons with a stint playing at the top level in the French Championship, his solid performances have won him many fans in France, but his contract with the French side expires at the end of this season. And there is speculation that Jones is considering a move back to the Principality.
‘Llanelli is abuzz with one thing at the moment – that Stephen Jones could be returning to Stradey Park,” said former Llanelli and Wales outside half Phil Bennett. ‘There is a huge amount of excitement at the prospect, given more credence by reports he met with Scarlets chairman Huw Evans last week.
‘Stephen is a superb controller of a match and he is arguably a more complete player since he moved to Clermont Auvergne last season. He is rated as one of the top fly-halves in France – some compliment when you consider the strength of their top division.
‘I’d go further than that, I’d say he was one of the top six fly-halves in the world. He was a huge loss to the Scarlets when he left, but the experience of playing in France has been the making of him. Now he is close to being the complete player.”
A move back to the Scarlets, who have struggled to replace Jones, would reunite him with his Lions and Wales half-back partner Dwayne Peel. ‘Dwayne Peel gave Welsh rugby a huge shot in the arm a few weeks ago when he rejected the advances of London Wasps and pledged his future to Stradey Park. What a boost it would be to have his Welsh half-back partner back in the domestic game.
‘Of course, the Scarlets face opposition from the Blues, who I believe are also desperate to clinch his signature,” continued Bennett. But the Blues have demonstrated their ambitions with the signing of the likes of New Zealand great Jonah Lomu and are well able to match the contract sum of £200,000 to £250,000 a season that is being touted.
However, unless Jones is determined to return to Wales then England’s leading clubs in the Guinness Premiership would also be keen to sign a player of his calibre, with London Wasps already thought to have made overtures.
