Highly-rated former Wales U20s prop Lewys Jones is on the move in France as he looks to further his rugby education.
The 6ft, 19st stepson of ex-Neath and Wales flanker Phil Pugh linked with Pro D2 club Nevers in 2020, signing a three-year contract. The powerful tighthead made his league bow when he featured off the bench against then leaders Mont-de-Marsan last term. You can read about his first game in rugby's "craziest" league here.
Now Jones has gone out on loan to Stade Dijonnais, the club where iconic France international Morgan Parra started out, with the idea being for the 20-year-old Welsh speaker to bank game-time.
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“I’m here for for the experience,” Jones told WalesOnline. “Right now, Nevers have too many foreign players. I could have either played for the development set-up there or considered something else. Dijon came in and offered me the chance to be part of their first-team set-up for a year against men at a good level, so I took it.
“At the end of this season I will have JIFF status and so won’t be classed as a foreign player in France anymore. I’ll also have had another season of rugby under my belt, hopefully with plenty of game-time.”
No doubt, Jones’ progress will be monitored from afar. He played for Wales U20s last season and is on record as saying he wants to achieve further honours.
The Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera product has potential. Indeed, there were whispers he might prove the real deal during his time in the Ospreys academy. One source described Jones as being "marked as the next big thing" and another called him a " top-quality prospect ".
But a family connection meant Jones wanted to sample life in France and he duly made the move at the age of just 18. Earlier this year he said: “Coming out to France has developed me as a player and as a person. It takes time for props to mature, but hopefully the experience I’m picking up will help me.”
The French lower leagues once had a reputation for wildness, especially in the forwards, but Bridgend Ravens' new recruit Luke Price reported recently that he hadn't seen anything overly indisciplined during a year spent playing for Valence Romans in a division just above the one Jones will be operating in.
Whatever, Dijon are just pleased to have acquired the youngster after their relegation to National 2, with coach Thomas Kohler saying: “He’s a very hard-working player who’s solid on the basics of his position. Now he needs to evolve to match more experienced players. Lewys still has a year of contract with Nevers, who trusted us so that he could have the chance to progress at Stade Dijonnais during the coming season.”
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