Scarlets left red-faced over new signings

Foreign import: Muggleton has been brought in from Australia

Less than 24 hours after appointing Australian defence coach John Muggleton the Scarlets have been left red-faced.

Just 19 days ago new Head Coach Nigel Davies launched a scathing attack on Welsh rugby, slamming the use of foreign coaches instead of developing home-grown talent.

And yet on Monday officials at the Scarlets hailed the signing of Muggleton, the best defence coach in World Cup history, as well as fellow Australian Brad Harrington, who will take charge of fitness at Stradey Park.

However the double-signing has lead to the departure of Robert Jones and Wayne Proctor, two Welsh coaches, who now find themselves surplus to requirements due to the arrival of their Australian counterparts.

All this comes in the wake of Davies' words of warning, a warning that applauded the Scarlets for picking a home-grown coach as well as highlighting the need to develop coaching talent in Wales.

"I think in Wales we have got an inferior gene and we think that people with a different accent are better people than us," he blasted in The Western Mail.

"I can't see it myself. I think we've got to back ourselves as a nation.

"I think it's great that the board have supported a Welsh person, because why shouldn't we be as good as anybody else?

"People that have got other opinions, what do they base their opinions on?"

And now, barely three weeks on, his words are seen as empty ones, especially given that Jones was one of the key factors in transforming the Scarlets over the past six years. What's more is that it's reported Jones left by mutual consent, with Proctor also leaving under the same cloud.

Reliable sources told The Western Mail early last month the pair would be following Phil Davies out of the exit door as the Scarlets cleared the decks for a make-or-break move to their plush new £23m Parc y Scarlets 14,500 capacity stadium next November.

However the move to bring the Australian duo to west Wales will leave many puzzled with Jones considered one of Wales' brightest coaching talents with a vast knowledge of the game.

It was Jones who acted as Assistant Coach when Davies left to join the Wales set-up. It was also under his guidance that the Scarlets backs earned huge praise for their stunning doubles over Toulouse, Ulster and London Irish in the 2007 Heineken Cup.

Matthew Watkins, who won Welsh caps whilst Jones was coaching him, has been coached by Jones, Davies and Gareth Jenkins at the Scarlets.

"Rob has been very good. The amount of experience he has got should not be wasted. Although he has been a general backs coach for only two years, he was becoming more experienced," explained Watkins.

"I have got to say Nigel, when he was at the region, was also really good.

"He is articulate, explains things well and him and Gareth were quite clever in what they did.

"I don't know anything about the Australians they have brought in but I know Paul Moriarty, who they are keeping on, is a good forwards coach."

Watkins, who joins Gloucester next season, has claimed the Welsh Rugby Union should be concerned at the willingness of the Welsh regions to look for foreign coaches.

The Ospreys are said to be lining up former All Black Todd Blackadder as their new coach, having seen Lyn Jones leave last month.

Watkins believes the issue needs addressing, and soon, by those who are backing the Welsh regions.

"There is, realistically, only eight coaching posts with the four regions and, ideally, you would want them to be occupied by Welsh people," he said.

"Unless you give Welsh coaches opportunities, how are they going to develop? It's the same with players.

"There are too many quality young boys who can't get games because they with the wrong region. The Ospreys are a prime example.

"The WRU must put something in place to ensure those boys are playing regularly, whether it's by moving them to another region through a player draft or something else."

As was the case with the RFU and Brian Ashton it is understood that both Jones and Proctor were offered other, less important, roles within the region - although neither have accepted thus far.