WILLIE ANDERSON, the former Ireland captain and former assistant coach to the national team, has been officially appointed director of rugby by London Irish.
The appointment was expected and Anderson, who filled a similar post with Dungannon, was released by the Ulster club and took up his new position yesterday.
After taking a training session in the afternoon he helped select the side to meet Wasps in the Courage League at Sunbury tomorrow.
The team includes eight Ireland internationals, but second row Gabril Fulcher is out due to influenza. He had to withdraw from the Ireland side against Western Samoa earlier in the week because of the illness. Jeremy Davidson is partnered by Malcolm O'Kelly in the second row, while Ken O'Connell, Victor Costello and Kieron Dawson form the back row.
Meanwhile, the Australian team to meet Ulster at Ravenhill tomorrow includes 12 of the side that defeated Scotland 29-19 at Murrayfield last Saturday. Two of the backs, who played in the 37-20 win over Connacht last Wednesday are also in the side. They are wing David Campese and serum half George Gregan.
Neither played in the test, but the other five backs Matthew Burke, Tim Horan, Daniel Herbert, Joe Roff and David Knox did. Gregan comes in at serum half for John Payne while Campese comes into a rearranged threequarter line. Tim Horan moves from right wing to centre in place of the injured Pat Howard and Campese is on the wing for Horan.
The only change in the pack from the test side is Michael Brial who comes into the back row for Owen Finegan, who also played and scored a try against Connacht on Wednesday.
Ulster captain Denis McBride under treatment for a facial injury sustained playing for Ireland against Western Samoa on Tuesday night, hopes to be fit to lead Ulster. If he is ruled out his place will go to Andrew Ward (Ballynahinch). The captaincy would probably be taken over by number eight Steve McKinty.
. The Scottish Rugby Union is to hand out £419,000 as part of a series of initiatives designed to strengthen club rugby in Scotland.
The money will come from the SRU's share of revenue from the Heineken European Cup and European Conference competitions.
Of an interim total of £419,000, £100,000 will be for immediate distribution to the premier division one, £144,000 to premier divisions two to four and £175,000 for the 70 clubs in National League divisions one to seven.
SRU commercial convenor Charlie Bisset said: "We are trying to buy success at every level of the game.
President Fred McLeod said: "We believe that all three pillars international, district and club must be strong. But, at the moment, Scotland does not have strength in depth at club level."
The SRU have has set up a working party, chaired by former president Robin Charters and including former Scotland number eight, Iain Paxton.
Scotland's convenor of rugby Duncan Paterson added: "We cannot have winning districts without strong clubs."
He said that the club associations will be brought into the discussions at a later stage and that the SRU has looked at comparative situations in other countries.
