Jones and his advisors are all set to meet Hyardet and the Montferrand hierarchy at their Parce des Sports Marcel Michelin ground as they step up the heat in the race with Leicester Tigers for the signature of the Welsh outside half.
Hyardet met with Jones and his London-based, Kiwi advisor at Heathrow Airport last week and he hopes that their next meeting on French soil will clinch one of the biggest European transfers of the year.
Hyardet told local reporters that Jones had narrowed down his transfer selection to either Montferrand or Leicester Tigers, but added that he was “extremely hopeful” of getting his man.
Montferrand, the home club of such established stars as Olivier Magne, Tony Marsh, Franck Comba, Jimmy Marlu and Gerald Merceron, have failed to make the play-offs in the French Championship this season and will need to beat NEC Harlequins in the Parker Pen Challenge Cup final to qualify for the Heineken Cup.
Twice European champions Leicester are also struggling to make the cut for next season’s Heineken Cup, while Jones’ current side, Llanelli Scarlets, have already qualified for Europe’s top tier tournament.
That could still be a critical factor in the outside half’s decision on where to play next season because he wants to maintain as high a profile as possible with a British Lions tour to New Zealand on the horizon in June, 2005.
Montferrand, backed by the town’s biggest employer, Michelin Tyres, have plenty of money to call on. Hyardet sees Jones as the perfect man to end their goalkicking furstrations and to take over the No 10 jersey from French international Merceron.
Jones told the Scarlets he needed more time to make his decision at the weekend, and if Heineken Cup qualification is the key then they might have to wait until the end of May when Montferrand have played the Quins and the Tigers have palyed through England’s Wild Card play-off system.
