Ex-Wales captain Kingsley Jones offered new Russia role
- Published
Jones won his first Wales cap against the Barbarians in 1996
Former Wales captain Kingsley Jones has been offered a four-year contract to be Russia's head coach, BBC Sport Wales understands.
The former Sale Sharks head coach was Russia's team director at the recent World Cup in New Zealand.
Jones, 42, is mulling over the offer to succeed Nikolai Nerush, who resigned immediately after the end of the tournament.
Russia lost all four pool matches in their first World Cup campaign.
Former England centre Henry Paul, Russia's defence coach at the World Cup, has been tipped to become sevens coach.
"I'd say that Jones and Paul will be appointed for these posts with a 99 percent probability," said the head of the Russian Rugby Union, Vyacheslav Kopiev.
Jones, who won 10 caps for Wales, played for Ebbw Vale, Pontypridd, Worcester Warriors and Gloucester.
After a brief spell coaching Doncaster he moved to Sale Sharks where he was forwards coach and head coach.
He was appointed the Stockport-based club's director of rugby in 2009 but left in January 2011 , externalbefore joining Russia a month later, external.