Ex-Dragons fly-half Dorian Jones thriving in France's Pro D2

Dorian Jones took the plunge by moving to Soyaux Angouleme in 2018, heading for Pro D2 despite having a season to run on his Rodney Parade contract.

Four years on and the playmaker continues to impress in the second tier, now for Carcassonne via Nice.

Clermont Auvergne’s JJ Hanrahan is set to head from France to the Dragons this summer but Jones, who earned a chance as a pro thanks to his exploits with Ebbw Vale and Cross Keys, has reaped the rewards of moving in the opposite direction.

Dorian Jones is congratulated after scoring for the Dragons

“I wanted to give it my all over here and make a career out of it,” he said. “I’ll be 31 when my current contract comes up.

“It’s a really good league with a lot of experienced players and big physicality. I’m a lot more relaxed and that helps my game – my coach at Carcassonne tells me to play as though I am in the garden with my brother.

“That takes the weight off your shoulders and allows you to express yourself whereas at the Dragons I felt there was a lot of pressure for different reasons.

“I’ve loved every minute of it and I’ve been lucky to get this experience.”

That experience will continue after Jones grabbed his chance as a medical joker at Carcassonne after initially expecting to be in the second tier with Nationale table-toppers Nice.

“It is one of the nicest places I have been to and I signed for them but they ended up losing 12-9 in the last minute in the play-offs,” said Jones.

“Some of the signings got out of contracts but I didn’t want to be that guy, so gave it a go.”

Then a familiar name popped up on his phone – former Dragons captain Rynard Landman had a proposition.

Dorian Jones lines up a kick for Angouleme

“Normally it was him asking if anybody in my team wanted to buy biltong! I helped get him to Angouleme as a medical joker and it was a role reversal,” said Jones, who was the fly-half in the Dragons’ famous European Challenge Cup quarter-final win against Gloucester.

“I had to take the opportunity to get back into Pro D2 and now we are aiming to get into the play-offs, when anything can happen.”

Jones arrived on a five-month deal but has already earned a two-year contract by impressing in his first games with the club, settling thanks to the presence of the affable Landman.

“He was the first person to help me unload the van and cooked me dinner in my first week here,” said Jones.

“I’m often over his house watching Welsh rugby on television and he is the only one who can understand my Valleys accent with ‘What’s happening butt?’! Rynard is translating my English and my French!

“He gets so involved in the culture and he is so well respected for his professionalism and how much effort he puts in off the field.”

And the pair are joining forces on it with Jones continuing to impress – he has passed 50 points in four games for his new side (a try and 17 kicks from 18), taking his Pro D2 tally to 517 in 60.

“I’d never say never and feel that I could compete with the Dragons or one or the other regions but I am loving playing every week here and I see myself giving everything here in France,” said Jones.