Stephen Jones and Jonathan Humphreys named Wales assistants

Former Wales captains Stephen Jones and Jonathan Humphreys have been appointed assistant coaches as part of incoming head coach Wayne Pivac's team.

Scarlets backs coach Jones and Glasgow Warriors forwards coach Humphreys will start after the 2019 World Cup.

Pivac will take over from Warren Gatland as Wales head coach after the tournament in Japan.

Current skills coach Neil Jenkins and head of physical performance Paul Stridgeon will stay in their jobs.

"We are bringing in two hugely experienced, quality Welsh coaches to our set-up in Stephen and Jonathan and have secured the services of both Neil and Paul which is vitally important," said Pivac.

"The Welsh Rugby Union has been forward thinking with their planning and recruitment for post RWC 2019 and this has allowed me to bring in and secure the coaches we wanted.

"Stephen and Jonathan are hugely respected not only for what they did on the field as players but in their careers as coaches and I'm delighted to have them as part of our team.

"They will bring a huge amount of experience, excitement and passion to their roles."

Former Fiji boss Pivac's Wales contract runs until after the 2023 World Cup.

Ex-Scarlets and Wales fly-half Jones won 104 caps for his country and six more Test caps over two British and Irish Lions tours.

The 41-year-old also had playing stints at Clermont Auvergne and Wasps, where his coaching career began before returning to Wales as Pivac's backs coach in 2015.

"I'm hugely excited with the opportunity," said Jones.

"It is a great honour to be asked to coach your country and I'm really looking forward to the challenge and very much looking forward to working with Jon, Neil and Paul for what I hope will be a very exciting period in Welsh rugby."

Ex-Cardiff RFC player Humphreys, 49, is a former Wales hooker who led the team in 19 of his 35 caps before moving into a coaching career that has seen him work for Canada, Ospreys, Scotland and, latterly, Glasgow.

"It's a huge honour to return to Wales during what is a really exciting time for Welsh rugby. The opportunity to come back and coach my country with Wayne and Stephen is one that I couldn't turn down," Humphreys said.

"I'm indebted to Scottish Rugby. I'd like to thank Mark Dodson, Scott Johnson and Vern Cotter for giving me the opportunity to be involved in their vision six years ago."

The pair will take up their posts in July 2019, two months before the World Cup.