Lyn Jones appointed London Welsh coach

Jones won two Magners Leagues and an Anglo-Welsh Cup as Ospreys coach

Former Ospreys coach Lyn Jones has been appointed coach of London Welsh.

Jones succeeds Phil Greening, who left the Championship club after their Premiership promotion bid ended in a play-off defeat to Cornish Pirates.

Former Wales flanker Jones, who won two Magners League titles as Ospreys boss, has left his role as director of rugby at Al Khubairat school in Abu Dhabi.

"The club is steeped in tradition and history, with a desire to return to the top of the English game," said Jones.

"I will bring my experience and understanding of coaching at the top level to a side that has ambition.

"Closing the gap between Aviva [Premiership] and Championship rugby takes a lot of hard work to create more consistent individual performances."

The 47-year-old helped ensure the Ospreys were the leading Welsh region during his five-year reign at the Liberty Stadium - where he won two Celtic crowns and the EDF Energy Anglo-Welsh Cup - before he departed in 2008.

Jones joined the Newport Gwent Dragons as a rugby consultant before leaving to take up a coaching role at a British school in Abu Dhabi in May 2009.

But he has left the United Arab Emirates to take up his first head club coaching role for three years.

"My two years in Abu Dhabi have been a huge plus professionally and personally," said Jones.

"And I have seized the opportunity to gain new skills that can be applied to professional rugby.

"I leave with a heavy heart, but plan to maintain links with the school, whilst developing a strong development pathway between my new employers and schools rugby in the UAE capital.

"We will annually bring the best students over to London for a week, as part of their rugby development, and have our coaching staff make regular visits.

"My passion for the game and my desire to coach remain very strong and I hope I have a huge amount to offer the game of rugby at the highest level for many years."