Stephen Jones: Ex-Wales fly-half aims to unite attack game with Newcastle DNA

Jones’ most recent coaching post before his switch to Kingston Park was with Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby after a long spell as attack coach with Wales.

But he is now back in the Prem after a decade away, having worked at Wasps in his first foray into coaching.

He returns to find a competition that has become far more attacking, with Jones’ first opponents, leaders Northampton Saints, a perfect example. They are averaging 39 points per game in the Prem this season.

And on the back of a Six Nations which saw a record number of tries – 111 in 15 matches – the former number 10 explained how the game has evolved.

“We really have got a good product at the moment,” he said. “Look at the Saints for example. They move a lot of ball, score a lot of points, it truly is a 15-man game.

“The ball in play has increased a lot, it’s good to watch. Defence can still fight the contact area and if you’re still dominant there, it can have a big impact on the game, so the balance is pretty good.

“The tackle height is a big one and that means people have a chance to offload. If you can free your arms and get the offload in and get in behind defences, you don’t give them much time to recover.”