Shane Williams column: Innovator Lyn Jones could be a great fit for Harlequins

Lyn Jones is one of rugby‘s great innovators and Harlequins could do far worse than appoint the Newport Gwent Dragons head coach to replace their Italian-bound boss Conor O’Shea.
I’m afraid I cannot shed any light on this week’s speculation over Lyn’s illness and being spotted at  the Stoop. I find the episode pretty bizarre. The Dragons said he came down with a sickness bug on Thursday and that’s why he missed the Dragons’ epic win at Gloucester.
But Thursday turned out to be the same day he was seen at Harlequins, according to Nick Easter, and that has sparked all sorts of rumours.
What I can say, however, from knowing Lyn as a person, is that I would be very, very surprised if he was not being straight. He tells you as it is. He is not afraid to be up front with people. So if he was ill, and still is, then I believe him. In fact, I really hope he is okay.
But I can easily see why Jones and Quins would be a good fit and how it would work for both sides. Lyn is a very creative coach. He played rugby in the ‘good ol’ days’ of amateur rugby but he is a modern coach and always thinking of new ideas. And I should know, I spent most of my rugby career with him, first at Neath and then the Ospreys.
He’s very knowledgeable and was never afraid to try new things. There were times in training when he would come up with ideas that I had never seen before and doubted whether they could possibly work. But more often than not, they did.
With the firepower available at Quins, it could be a great combination. If the top job at the Stoop is an option then Lyn would be mad not to consider it. These chances don’t come along very often. Traditionally Harlequins have been one of the biggest sides in England and have started to build one hell of a squad.
Lyn has experience of handling superstars. During his five years at the Ospreys, we had one of the most experienced and decorated groups ever assembled in Welsh rugby and among the best in Europe. And there were also a fair few egos to handle.
It was a massive job to bring together a squad that included Justin Marshall, Gavin Henson, Ryan Jones, James Hook, Mike Phillips and Marty Holah. There were a lot of voices, characters and experience, but we came together as a team under Lyn.
He has also lived in London and I think everyone agreed that he did a fantastic job with London Welsh. Not only did he take them up to the Premiership but almost kept them up despite the last-minute promotion and a points-deduction.
He certainly wouldn’t shy away from a challenge. He has spent the last five seasons with London Welsh and the Dragons, which has presented all sorts of difficulties, both on and off the pitch.
Now it could be time for him to look for the next step and challenge for silverware.
Saying that, his Dragons could yet prove everyone wrong in the Challenge Cup. Last week’s win at Gloucester was a fantastic result but their reward, if you can call it that, is a trip to Montpellier.
This Montpellier side is simply huge and it will be a case of Dai versus Goliath next week in the south of France.
But the Dragons have nothing to lose and they have to try to enjoy the occasion. This is the biggest game of their season. The remaining games in the Pro12 are irrelevant; next week is all about reaching a European final.
The Dragons have been causing shocks all season, both positive and negative. At times they let you down when you expect more; and there are times when they pull something out of the bag. Hopefully next week will be the latter.