By CounterRuck
May 29 2008

Forgotten one cap wonder and Osprey fly-half Matt Jones is poised to make a return to top-flight rugby with Guinness Premiership side Worcester, and in doing so be reunited with the man who gave him that cap, Mike Ruddock.

Ending up at London Welsh has tended to signal the end of any Welsh players hopes of playing in either the Magners League or Guinness Premiership, but Jones appears to have salvaged a career that following his release from the Ospreys earlier this year, looked likely to be spent scrapping around the semi-professional leagues.

Fellow former Osprey Richie Pugh has ended up in England too, with ambitious Devonian National league one side Exeter, but Jones will face a far tougher test adapting to the intensity of the Guinness Premiership, which could arguably be better for his international prospects than being back in Wales.

Cynically though without the Ruddock connection it is questionable if the Neath- product would have been given this opportunity, but the former Wales coach has proved both at Newport Gwent Dragons and in Worcester his player-recruitment is normally spot-on.