Matt Williams

[Rooster]

He had either a 2 or 3 year contract, does not mean to say though that MW may not keep him on, Neil Kelly is out of contract at the end of this season.

[GerryO']

With regards to Steve Williams staying when did his contract last until anyway?

Caretaker coach Steve Williams will continue to be at the helm in the interim and it is thought that the present backroom staff will remain in place until the end of the season.

Does the above comment not now hint that he is only here until the end of the season.

CT you are not yourself
I've already answered that question for YOU today.
However, to recap… Steve Williams has a two year contract that runs out at the end of the 08-09 season.

[Cockatrice]

Gerry- my apology what I should have hinted at was that if Steve goes back to asssitant coach does he become a member of the back room staff.

As such with the indication that back room staff will be retained until the end of this season only could his position me shorter than his contract. It was suggested that Matt wanted his own team around him and that this may have been one reason for some of the delay.

Matt has also come at a stage when if he achieves anything at all he will be hailed as the hero. I suspect all we can hope for is that we get ourselves together now for the start of next season.

[Gerrymc]

Matt Williams appointed. Oh No. I feel sorry for you guys. Remember, nothing will ever be his fault, and you had better hope he doesn't bring Brett Igoe with him.

[cables]

Not a lot us lot can do about it GerryMc except hope you are not correct or that he has learned from prior experiences.

Say hello to GeorgeG next time you are talking to him. Always appreciated him as a player irrespective of the colour of the shirt he was playing against.

Happy New Year/ Hogmany.

[browner]

From to-days Irish Indo........................

MATT WILLIAMS is back in Irish rugby.

Ulster confirmed yesterday that the Australian has agreed to take over as head coach and will begin his new role in February. The former Leinster and Scotland coach finally accepted the job yesterday morning, having been offered a contract 10 days ago in Belfast, and succeeds Mark McCall who resigned following Ulster's heavy Heineken Cup loss to Gloucester in November.

The decision will come as a relief to chief executive Michael Reid and the branch as it has emerged that they had no back-up plan if Williams had refused. There is said to be considerable unhappiness among the players at the way in which the affair was handled. The squad believe they were not kept informed of events and were thwarted in their attempts to gain updates over the past few weeks.

The uncertainty surrounding Ulster rugby has been reflected by their recent performances which included a 29--0 St Stephen's Day hammering by Leinster, which resulted in Ulster propping up both the Magners League table and their Heineken Cup pool.

The process has been shoddy to say the least and it was seen as ironic that the Professional Team Management Committee handling the appointment is made up of amateurs.

Reid finally met with the squad yesterday to inform them that Williams would be taking over and the 46-year-old coach's first task will be to convince many of the players to stay with the province, given that 17 are believed to be out of contract at the end of the season.

Caretaker coach Steve Williams will remain in charge for Ulster's next three matches -- against Munster in the Magners League and the back-to-back Heineken Cup matches against Bourgoin and Gloucester -- before Matt Williams arrives permanently at the end of January. It is thought the existing backroom staff will remain in place until the end of the current season at least.

Williams will be in Belfast later this week for a meeting with players and will hold a press conference, but the branch would make no further comment.

As others havesaid...............this whole episode has been embarassing.

Time to give the CEO more freedom in the areas he is responsilble for.

Seems as if Mulligans articles are an attempt to create that gap.

[jamesie]

Matt Williams appointed. Oh No. I feel sorry for you guys. Remember, nothing will ever be his fault, and you had better hope he doesn't bring Brett Igoe with him.

thanks for the concern, but lets just wait and see and we'll make our own mind up eh?!

[Rooster]

Matt Williams appointed. Oh No. I feel sorry for you guys. Remember, nothing will ever be his fault, and you had better hope he doesn't bring Brett Igoe with him.

thanks for the concern, but lets just wait and see and we'll make our own mind up eh?!

Agree with that Jamesie, Thornley and several Leinster players say the opposite to Scots.

Williams confirmed as Ulster coach

Gerry Thornley Rugby Correspondent

Matt Williams will be installed as Ulster's new head coach early in January after agreeing a two-and-a-half-year deal to succeed Mark McCall. The Ulster players were informed of Williams's appointment yesterday after the former New South Wales, Leinster and Scotland coach accepted Ulster's offer over the Christmas after returning home to Sydney following his interview for the vacancy last Thursday week in Belfast.

The news that Williams will fill the void created by McCall's honourable decision to resign on November 12th in the aftermath of their opening 32-14 defeat at home to Gloucester in the Heineken European Cup will come as a welcome relief to both the Ulster branch and the Ulster squad.

Although they recovered sufficiently two weeks later to beat Connacht in a basement meeting of the Magners League, a result potentially critical vis-à-vis qualifying for next season's European Cup, that remains their only win in their last 12 competitive matches.

Indeed, it has continued a rather steady decline which has seen the Magners League champions of two seasons ago win just five of their last 23 competitive matches.

They are bottom of the league and their European Cup pool - in which they have lost all four games to date - and have an estimated 18 players out of contract at the end of the season, and the wounds are still festering in a divided dressingroom over the manner of McCall's departure.

Their lack of representation on the Ireland team had long been a source of strength, but increased recognition in the last two years would seem to have brought a degree of "internationalitis".

Williams has a huge task on his hands but, despite an unfulfilling two years with Scotland, has shown his pedigree at Irish provincial level with Leinster.

After an initially productive stint as backs coach, Williams galvanised an underachieving Leinster by revolutionising their professionalism and guided them to a record, 19-match winning streak from the start of the 2001-2002 season, which included a memorable 14-man victory over Munster in the inaugural Celtic League final at Lansdowne Road.

Unlucky to be drawn away to Leicester in the quarter-finals after just one defeat - away to Toulouse - Leinster were again hit by an injury to their first-choice outhalf, Nathan Spooner, the following season when reaching the European Cup semi-finals only to lose to Perpignan at Lansdowne Road.

Still, the positives far outweighed the negatives in Williams's time there, and he has the type of ultra-positive personality and technical expertise to help turn around Ulster's fortunes.

The move means uprooting his wife and three children - all of whom were due to start the Australian school year at the end of January - and Williams's agent, John Baker, paid tribute to Ulster's negotiating skills last night.

"It's been a pleasure to deal with Ulster and their chief executive, Michael Reid. They really wanted their man and did everything to facilitate him."

Meanwhile Ian Dowling who sustained a knee injury late in the second half of the Magners League game against Connacht last Thursday, will be sidelined for six to eight weeks. It means he will miss the European Cup games against Clermont Auvergne and London Wasps and the league trip to Edinburgh.
© 2007 The Irish Times

[Freddie Benson]

I take note of the concerns of those from D4 and Scotland who have posted, but like Sir James and Rooster, I'll give a warm welcome and good wishes for a successful stint as our coach.

[Cockatrice]

I note that the News Letter reports same with the addition that as well as meeting with the players on Sunday the CEO met with the PTMC at Malone on Saturday.

Clubs reps should be able to read up on that one the next time they attend branch meetings.

The Indo's comments should hopefully be key to the IRFU restructuring:

The process has been shoddy to say the least and it was seen as ironic that the Professional Team Management Committee handling the appointment is made up of amateurs.

Also hope that these people end up facing the press as recently suggested sooner rather than later.

[colinh]

All reports from Dublin seem to suggest to me over the weekensd that he is the business. Word is he never stood a chance in Scotland.

[barney]

As I know from present experience, some jobs just plain don't work out



Best of luck to Matt and his team. The sooner we get back to winning ways the better, and 2007 can be consigned to the bin.

[Rooster]

Their lack of representation on the Ireland team had long been a source of strength, but increased recognition in the last two years would seem to have brought a degree of "internationalitis".

Loved that bit by Thornley, sounds like a bit of ass kicking may be required.

Williams comments about the Scots racism will add for a bit of extra fire when we play them as well no doubt, interesting times ahead indeed.

[BigHairyMonster]

I will just say this once and then won't harp on about it. Matt Williams seriously damaged Scottish rugby and I am very concerned about his appointment. I hope to be proved wrong and will be the first to say I am wrong.
Happy hogmanay to all
BHM

[browner]

Matt Williams seriously damaged Scottish rugby

And quite a few others.