Wales tour roles will benefit regional coaches, says Phil Bennett

Stephen Jones is Scarlets backs coach while Steve Tandy and Danny Wilson are head coaches at Ospreys and Cardiff Blues respectively

Wales fly-half legend Phil Bennett believes regional coaches will benefit from being involved with the national team.

The Welsh Rugby Union have held talks with three coaches to join Wales' 2017 Pacific Islands tour.

BBC Wales understands talks are being held with Scarlets coach Stephen Jones, Ospreys coach Steve Tandy and Cardiff Blues coach Danny Wilson.

"I'm all for some of these coaches going," Bennett said.

"I think it's a good idea to get some of our regional boys there, as a reward if you like because they are working their socks off."

Wales head coach Warren Gatland and assistant Rob Howley, who will be in interim charge for the Six Nations, will be on the British & Irish Lions' tour of New Zealand.

Phil Bennett won 29 caps for Wales between 1969 and 1978

The trio could work with Robin McBryde for the series against Tonga and Samoa although WRU chairman Gareth Davies did not confirm talks are ongoing.

Bennett, the former Wales and British and Irish Lions fly-half, believes the inclusion of regional coaches on the summer tour will help with the development of Welsh coaches.

"There's good men like Steve Tandy, Danny Wilson at the Blues, Kingsley Jones at the Dragons," Bennett told BBC Radio Wales Sport.

"Stephen's an outstanding coach, learning every day. Stephen's going to be one of the top coaches in Wales.

"If we take one or two of those away because we're missing coaches on the tour, they will learn from it, benefit from it and become better coaches."

Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac has previously said that he would support the region's backs coach Jones if he was to join the Wales backroom team for the tour.