FORMER Newport Gwent Dragons fly-half Matthew Jones has joined Pontypool as player-coach, writes Chris Kirwan.

The 32-year-old, who won a solitary cap for Wales against Canada in 2005, will work under head coach Leighton Jones, who was appointed as successor to Louie Tonkin last week.

Jones brings plenty of professional experience after a career that has seen him play for the Ospreys, Moseley, London Welsh, Worcester and Bristol, as well as making 33 appearances for the Rodney Parade region between 2010 and 2012.

The fly-half heads to Pooler from Coventry, where he combined his playing duties with his job as head of rugby at Coleg Gwent in Cross Keys.

He will be charged with helping the club get over their promotion anguish after missing out on the revamped and ring-fenced Principality Premiership, a disappointment that means they face at least four seasons in the SSE Swalec Championship.

"I am hugely honoured to join one of the foremost iconic clubs in Welsh rugby history and am very much looking forward to entering the next chapter of my career, both as a player and a coach," said backs coach Jones.

"Whilst it was naturally very disappointing for everybody at Pooler to narrowly miss out on promotion, having met with the Jeffreys family, it is clear that they still have the ambition to take the club to the Principality Premiership in the coming seasons and this was hugely appealing to me.

"Having the opportunity to work alongside a true club man in Leighton Jones is also something that drew me to the club. Everyone at Pooler hugely respects Leighton and the tight-knit environment within the squad is infectious.

"It is going to be an exciting challenge for me personally to contribute to the club both as a player and as backs coach and I cannot wait to get started on planning for next season."

Leighton Jones believes the fly-half will prove to be a hit on and off the field at Pontypool Park.

"To have attracted somebody of Matthew's stature - both in terms of his professional accomplishments and personal character - demonstrates how the club is an attractive proposition for those wanting to be part of a driven team that wishes to build something special for the town of Pontypool,” said the head coach.

"Matthew's experiences as an internationally capped outside-half will be invaluable, both on-and-off the field, and will complement our already strong squad and management staff perfectly.”

Pooler are poised to announce the composition of the core of next season’s squad in the coming days.