Back in 2016, Welsh rugby followers were stopped in their tracks by the shock news that Ospreys and Wales prop Aaron Jarvis was joining French giants Clermont.
There was a similar level of surprise when it was revealed out of the blue this week that he is retiring from the game to take up a coaching job in America’s Major League Rugby.
Though it came as a surprise, the 18-cap forward, who represented Wales at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, had been planning the move for a while.
Due to total confusion over the Dragons’ budgets last year, the region were extremely late in re-contracting their players.
There was a chance Jarvis could have been left without a job, so he started to put some feelers out to contacts.
The 35-year-old was handed a new deal at Rodney Parade but he kept on the lookout for post-rugby opportunities and one came up that he felt was too good to ignore.
The Dallas Jackals, a new franchise in the league, were on the lookout for an assistant coach.
“I wanted to get out of the bubble and experience something different,” Jarvis admits.
“It would have been easier for me to stay and I think moving out of here, to somewhere that no-one really knows me, gives me an opportunity to grow with less spotlight on me.
“I wasn’t just given the job, I had to interview for it so I went through that process.
“But after speaking to them a couple of times, it was a job that I really wanted just from the way the conversations were going.
“I’m really happy they offered me the job.”
Jarvis, who has been cutting his teeth as a coach with the Dragons age-grade sides, now moves to the States shortly after Christmas.
The ever-changing situation with Covid-19 will determine whether his family comes with him immediately or wait a few months.
When he arrives, he’ll be working with former England head coach Brian Ashton, who is an advisor for the side.
It won’t be the first time the pair have worked together, with Ashton coaching Jarvis during their stints at Bath.
“I’ve been on a lot of Zoom’s with Brian,” said Jarvis. “I was coached by him many years ago so I know him pretty well.
“It’s been good to speak to him and learn from the way he sees the game, because he sees the game differently to a lot of people.
“That’s fantastic for us as a coaching group. Just having that sounding board is great.
“To be fair, the coaches here [Dragons] have been fantastic with me as well.
“They’ve offered to be there if I need to talk things through. They’ve all shown a willingness and openness to do that.
“I’ve learned so much from them as well, from being coached by them.
“I’m sure I’ll be in contact with them when I need to sound things out at some point.
“I know it’s going to be a difficult challenge but it’s one I’m looking forward to.”
In the eyes of some, the US is a sleeping giant of rugby.
The MLR is only three seasons old with last year being cancelled by the Covid-19 pandemic. The final this year was watched by just under half a million viewers on TV, with over 7,000 in the stadium.
Teams blend vastly experienced overseas stars – Matt Giteau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Ma’a Nonu and Chris Robshaw have all been lured there – with local talent.
It makes for an intriguing mix.
“The MLR is in its infancy but it’s a growing league and there is so much potential there with, not just developing players, but with the league itself,” said Jarvis.
“After speaking with them, going through the process and discussing they way they want to do things – it just really appealed to me.
“There is never a right time to end your career but this felt right and the opportunity was too big for me to say no to.
“There is a lot of talent going there. They may be more senior players but they’re attracted to it for the reason that North America has such a large talent pool of athletes.
“If they get it right, and we get it right, they could become a real rugby stronghold.
“It just felt like a great opportunity to go there and be a part of that.”
On the league, he added: “It’s definitely moving in the right direction. It’s growing year on year.
“The standard is improving and more players are wanting to go there.
“I think it will be a higher level than most people think because, athletically, they’re such a gifted nation.
“I’m really looking forward to working with these guys and just trying to impart some of my knowledge, and then seeing where that takes us.”
Jarvis has never been to Dallas – he’ll move to Arlington – but he has accrued a vast rugby knowledge across a 15-year playing career that has seen him work with the likes of Warren Gatland, Franck Azema and, lately, Dean Ryan.
He will take things from all of them.
“I think I’ll take some bits from every one of them but the biggest thing I’ve learned is that I can’t coach like someone else,” he said.
“I have to coach with my personality. It’s no good me trying to coach like someone I’m not because they’ll see straight through me.
“I’ve got to coach with how I am and my personality and hopefully that puts me in good stead.
“I’ll definitely take the set piece knowledge that I gained in France. They just look at it differently.
“Most teams in England and Wales are more lineout focused on a Tuesday, for example. In France, that was purely scrum day.
“They put such value in it and 80 percent of that session was dedicated to scrums.
“But I will try and take my most enjoyable bits from everywhere, from each club.”
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