Huw Jones to travel to France this week to complete Top 14 switch

Fresh from Scotland’s latest Calcutta Cup win over England, Huw Jones is set to take advantage of a fallow week in the Guinness Six Nations to complete a move to Top 14 strugglers Montpellier.

The 30-year-old Glasgow outside centre, who had a move to Bayonne scrapped three years ago after they were relegated to Pro D2, is due to travel to France to complete the move in the next 48 hours.

Bayonne were still keen on Jones but he has chosen to move to Montpellier, who secured a 28-23 victory over Bayonne at GGL Stadium last weekend. That was their fourth success in five matches, but they remain in 13th place in the league, two points from safety behind the 12th-place Perpignan.

Jones was born in Scotland and educated in England before moving to South Africa in his gap year where he started his rugby career with Western Province and then the Stormers in Super Rugby.

He is in his second spell at Scotstoun on either side of spending a season in the Gallagher Premiership with Harlequins, who stepped in to offer him a deal when his move to Bayonne fell through.

Jones, who helped Quins to reach the 2022 Premiership semi-finals, can play in almost any position in the backline and he isn’t likely to be the last big-name arrival at the French club this summer.

After completing the Jones signing, Montpellier will switch their attentions to landing former Springboks fly-half Curwin Bosch from the Sharks. Sources in South Africa indicate that a move is very much on the cards.

The 26-year-old has seen his career stall in Durban and a move to France could breathe new life despite being under contract to the Sharks until 2026.