The Welshman has been hailed as a ‘top-notch person’ as well as a ‘legendary’ player and coach
New Zealand legend Tana Umaga says he “can’t speak more highly” of former Wales captain Stephen Jones after the ex-fly-half moved across the world to join his coaching team at Moana Pasifika and came close to making history with the Super Rugby Pacific side.
After leaving his role as Wales’ attack coach at the end of 2022 – having been deemed surplus to requirements following Warren Gatland’s return as head coach – Jones flew to New Zealand and became Umaga’s assistant coach at Moana Pasifika the following year, a decision which he said was a “no-brainer”.
Working alongside the former All Blacks captain, Jones has helped to turn around the club’s fortunes, as they came agonisingly close to sealing a historic first-ever play-off place this season, having finished rock bottom of the table for two successive campaigns before the Welshman’s arrival.
The 47-year-old has spoken openly about how much he is enjoying his new life in New Zealand, admitting he has been “blown away” by the beauty of the Pacific culture while also thriving in a more open coaching environment with Umaga and his staff.
But the feeling is mutual, with Umaga full of praise for Jones as he spoke of their relationship and hailed him as a “top-notch person” as well as a “legendary” player and quality coach.
“Oh, it’s been such a pleasure with Stephen,” he told Casino.org UK. “I’ve got a lot of time and respect for him — not just as a rugby coach, but as a person.
“He’s a top-notch person, and I think that’s what kind of gravitated myself towards him. We just got on really well, and as usual, it was around a couple of beers that we got to know each other — and he does that well, a lot better than me.
“Also, just in terms of being such a legend in the fly-half position and knowing what he does around that area, his attention to detail — that’s what has impressed me.
“Because it’s such a big part of the game, and it’s probably not a part of the game that comes natural to us. That’s not just specific to our Islanders, but as New Zealanders as well. We’re very much run and gun. We like the game to get going and moving, trying to keep kicking to a minimum.
“But for us, he’s given us ways of kicking and educated our players around that — what’s a good kick, what isn’t, when do we kick, and what does it look like for us to get it back as well,” Umaga added.
“As we’ve seen, the kicking game’s such a messy part of rugby now because defences are so strong and get up on you so quick. Making errors inside your own half is near fatal now, and it just puts more stress on you in terms of fatigue.
“When you’re defending for long moments inside your own half, you’re invariably going to leak points. Just around that whole area, he’s very smart — not just in terms of what he knows, but what he teaches our players and how we formulate strategies in that area too, against certain teams.”
However, while Jones has been thriving on the other side of the world, it has certainly not been easy for him, with Umaga revealing that the former fly-half has stayed in New Zealand after his family returned to Wales for his childrens’ schooling.
“I can’t speak more highly of Jonesy,” said the former All Black, who will help coach the First Nations & Pasifika Invitational XV ahead of their clash with the British & Irish Lions later this summer.
“He’s done it tough too, because his family have returned to Wales for the schooling of their children. They were all here the first year, and then they made the decision to go home because their son was of age to start at the next tier of schooling.
“He does it tough, but you wouldn’t know — he’s such an energised man. I don’t know how he does it sometimes.”
It comes after Jones said he was enjoying the “healthy” coaching environment he now finds himself in, with collaboration and evolution key to Umaga’s approach.
“We’ve got a wonderful playing group, but the coaching environment where you can throw an idea or a concept out there and discuss and evolve it to grow [is also good],” he told New Zealand Rugby earlier this year. “It’s a healthy environment to challenge ourselves. That’s the part I love about this group.
“If I look at our coaching group and how we function and discuss things, there’s an open willingness to share ideas. The forwards coach Tom Coventry might see an option for a back peel or an ability to get in behind them, and its great how we can evolve that.
“Tana, at the helm, might say, ‘Can we go this way?’ and Seilala Mapusua has been amazing and might see a different picture,” he added. “Between us all we can discuss that and put it to the playing group”.
