Rugby: Amid huge collective relief, not least from Leinster's front-row forwards, Roly Meates has pledged his future to Leinster after rejecting overtures from ex-Leinster coach Matt Williams and the Scottish Rugby Union to renew their coaching partnership as Scotland's scrummaging coach.
Meates, a former Irish coach who has his own long-standing dental practice in Dublin, has remained in Leinster despite the Scots removing much of the logistical difficulties with the proposed move.
Furthermore Williams is a persuasive man and out of courtesy Meates had travelled over to Edinburgh last Friday to meet with Scottish RFU officials, who formally offered him the job as their scrummaging coach.
"It was a very difficult decision," Meates admitted last night. "But I'm happy with the process that took place and however my decision pans out at least I know the process was conducted in the right way. I had a one and a half hour meeting with Ian McGeechan and Bill Watson last Friday which was detailed and far-reaching."
The possibility of working with an international side was, he admits, very tempting but ultimately a sense of loyalty to Leinster and the province's players held sway.
"I don't know why," he laughed. "There were a lot of factors at work. I've had a lifetime's commitment to Leinster and Irish rugby and at this point in time I feel there's still a lot of work to be done with the Leinster players."
Ironically, Irish rugby hasn't been so loyal to him and no-one would have felt he should have any sense of due. Meates had been called in out of the wilderness by Williams two seasons ago following a run-in with senior IRFU officials in 1992, when he agitated for a more professional approach in two newspaper interviews and was voted off the IRFU sub-committee at the ensuing AGM.
Thereafter he was effectively blacklisted from any involvement in Leinster or Irish sides until the last two seasons. Leinster have had sufficient coaching upheavals as events stand in the last couple of years without further disruptions.
Alan Gaffney, Leinster's equally well regarded assistant coach to Williams, had decamped to Munster prior to the start of last season before Williams took up the Scottish job at the end of last season.
With Meates and current assistant coach Willie Anderson remaining in the fold, it ensures a degree of continuity when the newly appointed Glen Ella arrives today.
All the while Meates had kept Leinster fully abrest of developments with the Scots. Leinster Rugby Chief Executive Mick Dawson said: "Leinster are delighted to have retained the invaluable services of Roly Meates. Once approached by Scotland, Roly informed the Leinster Branch, and he kept us fully briefed on his discussions at all times."
Leinster completed their squad line-up when the former Wasps prop Darren Molloy signed last week. The province begin their preparations for the new season with a friendly against Gloucester at Donnybrook on Friday, August 22nd (7.30), before travelling to play Coventry on Thursday August 28th (7.30) prior to a return meeting with Gloucester in Kingsholm on Saturday, August 30th (2.30).
Leinster's opening Celtic League encounter pits them against Munster at Donnybrook on Friday, September 5th, although as Ireland will be playing Scotland the following day in Edinburgh the squad's frontline internationals will not be taking part.
Meanwhile, the 40-man Irish squad which have assembled in Athlone for a week-long training camp will hold an open session at Buccaneers RFC, Dubarry Park this afternoon between 2.0 and 3.0 pm, after which players will be available to sign autographs. In addition to the 40 players taking part, the injured Ronan O'Gara - who is recovering from the fractured scaffoid he sustained in the win over Samoa - has linked up with the squad for place-kicking practice.
The squad for the opening World Cup warm-up game against Wales at Lansdowne Road on Saturday week, will be announced later in the week and the team is expected to be led once again by Keith Wood. Ireland also host Italy at Thomond Park on August 30th, before facing Scotland in Murrayfield three days before the September 9th deadline for naming the 30-man World Cup squads.
Lloyds TSB, title sponsors of the Six Nations, have announced a significant partnership with Rugby World Cup Ltd to become a sponsor of this year's tournament.
Rugby World Cup 2003 has also announced it is teaming up with the World Food Programme - the world's largest humanitarian organisation and the emergency food-aid arm of the United Nations - to draw attention to the plight of 800 million people around the globe who are chronically hungry.
LEINSTER LIONS SQUAD: Forwards: Niall Breslin, David Blaney, Emmett Byrne, Shane Byrne, Reggie Corrigan, Victor Costello, Peter Coyle, Leo Cullen, Des Dillon, Ben Gissing, Keith Gleeson, Gavin Hickie, Shane Jennings, Aidan Kearney, Aidan McCullen, Eric Miller, Darren Molloy, Malcolm O'Kelly, Niall Treston. Backs: Felipe Contepomi, Gordon D'Arcy, Girvan Dempsey, Derek Hegarty, Denis Hickie, Shane Horgan, Matthew Leek, Kieran Lewis, John McWeeney, James Norton, Brian O'Driscoll, Brian O'Meara, Brian O'Riordan, David Quinlan, Christian Warner. Development Contracts: John Lyne and Niall Ronan.
