Huw Jones: Glasgow Warriors centre 'tempted' by Montpellier before signing extension
- Published
Huw Jones will line up for Scotland in Saturday's Six Nations meeting with Italy
Scotland centre Huw Jones says the possibility of a move to Montpellier "was certainly tempting" before signing a new two-year Glasgow Warriors deal.
Jones says it was "a rugby decision" to commit until 2026 as Franco Smith's side are "a top team right now".
Glasgow are in the last 16 of Europe's elite tournament the Champions Cup and third in the United Rugby Championship.
"We can win something this season, but if not, I've got two more years to win," the 30-year-old said.
"It's an exciting time for the club and I'm happy to be staying around."
Jones was expected to move to the French Top 14 to join Bayonne when he left Glasgow after his previous spell in 2021.
However, that move fell through after L'Aviron were relegated to Pro D2 and the centre instead joined Harlequins in the English Premiership before returning to Scotstoun two years ago.
"I've said in the past that I'd be open to a move to France," Jones said when asked about Montpellier's interest. "It was certainly tempting.
"We've got a baby on the way in the next couple of weeks, we're pretty settled in Glasgow, we've got loads of friends around and my family lives just outside of Edinburgh. So it's nice to be staying put.
"When it came down to it, it was a rugby decision. I thought it would be a shame to pass up what's happening at Glasgow at the moment."
Jones believes he "grew a lot" as a player with Harlequins and that he has continued to improve with Glasgow, working under head coach Smith and defence coach Pete Murchie, as well as the national team's defence coach Steve Tandy.
"I really rate the coaches at Glasgow - I love what Franco is doing," he said. "We train very hard, but it's good and it's translating on to the field, which is the positive thing.
"And I think the coaching is great with Scotland as well. We have a similar defensive system. Since Franco came in I've seen a real growth in the squad. I think we're getting better and better.
"I think we've got a real momentum at the moment and I want to stay part of that."
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