By Stephen Barry
Jerry Flannery expects Felix Jones to take his experience of being involved in coaching South Africa to a World Cup final back to Ireland someday.
Flannery and Jones left their roles as coaches with Munster after turning down the contract extensions they were offered last May.
Jones looked unlikely to get an immediate return to coaching until former Munster head coach Rassie Erasmus was left looking to fill a last-minute vacancy before the World Cup.
“It’s great. Felix would have left Munster so late in the year, he would’ve turned his contract down in May, which meant that it probably looked unlikely that he was going to pick up another coaching ticket straight away,” Flannery told the JOEpan Rugby Show.
“The fact that Swys de Bruin was taken ill, which was unfortunate, opened a door for Felix.
“Off the back of Felix being a really strong coach and also the fact that Rassie knew that… Felix knew the system that they were going to be using with South Africa, and he knew the other coaches as well in terms of Aled Walters, Rassie, Jacques (Nienaber), so Felix slotted in there.
“It’s really good for Irish rugby. I know that David Nucifora and the IRFU are very keen on developing indigenous coaches, so it’s not Irish rugby’s fault that Felix left Munster.
“He was offered a contract, he decided to turn it down. Now he’s further being upskilled after being probably one of the youngest attack coaches in European rugby, his CV now includes coaching to a World Cup final with one of the traditional ‘Big 3’ of South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia.
“So now he’s at that World Cup, which will be great because at some stage Felix is going to come back to Irish rugby.”