Glasgow Warriors confirm Huw Jones is to leave the club

Glasgow Warriors assistant coach Kenny Murray has confirmed that Huw Jones is to leave the club at the end of the season, with the Scotland back expected to join the French side Bayonne.

Huw Jones will leave Glasgow Warriors at the end of the season. Picture: Ross MacDonald/SNS

Jones’ contract expires in the summer and talks on a new deal have not borne fruit.

“I know we had been discussing a contract with him but he’s obviously decided not to take that and he’ll be moving on to other pastures,” said Murray

“He’s a big player for us who’s played well over the last few years, both at 15 and 13. But he’s decided to move on and we need to move on as a club as well.

“It’s disappointing to see any player go but we believe we’ve got some exciting players coming in as well.”

Jones, who made his name as an outside centre, has spent most of the season at full-back. He returns to his favoured 13 role for Sunday’s match against Leinster in Dublin, with Ollie Smith, making his first start, picked at 15. The 20-year-old signed his first professional contract with the club this week.

Cole Forbes, the Warriors’ new signing from New Zealand, also makes his first start, with another young talent, Rufus McLean, picked on the other wing.

The callowness of the back three is offset by plenty of experience elsewhere as nine Scotland players return to bolster Glasgow’s squad for what will be a tough outing against the three-in-a-row Pro14 champions.

“It’s great for us that Scotland have released those players,” said Murray. “It obviously makes a difference - we’re a lot stronger side going to Leinster now than maybe we were before the France game was cancelled.”

The postponement of the Six Nations match in Paris means Glasgow are able to field a starting XV that includes Oli Kebble, Grant Stewart, Richie Gray, Rob Harley, Jamie Dobie, Adam Hastings and Sam Johnson, as well as Jones.

Despite the reinforcements, Murray expects a tough test at the RDS.

“This gives us a good chance but going to Dublin to win is a bloody hard ask. But we’re in a good place and we’ve won there before. We know what it takes to do that which can only help.”

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