Anderson takes the reins at Ballynahinch

WILLIE ANDERSON has been appointed coach of All-Ireland Division Two club Ballynahinch.

Anderson has agreed an initial one-year deal with the Ballymacran Park outfit.

“They are a very ambitious club with some very exciting players and I’m looking forward to the challenge,” said Anderson.

“It is good to be involved with rugby in Ulster again but I have gained great experience working at Leinster and then at international level with Scotland.”

The former Ireland captain will fill the void left by Brian McLaughlin and Andy Ward’s departure.

Anderson, who won 27 caps for Ireland, moved to Dublin to join Matt Williams as the Leinster forwards coach in 2002 before joining the Australian in May 2004 for his all-too-brief reign with Scotland.

Elsewhere, former Ireland hooker Terry Kingston has been appointed assistant coach at Cork Constitution.

The Dolphin stalwart will assist Brian Walsh, and will have specific responsibility for the forwards next season.

Meanwhile, Connacht, having drawn Narbonne for four years running, will be hoping for a change of scenery when the draw for the European Challenge Cup is finalised later this week - but there is a strong chance that Michael Bradley’s men will face the French side yet again.

Narbonne, one of ten French sides in the draw, have again qualified and given that teams from the same country cannot meet in the first round, the odds shorten on them once again playing Connacht.

Connacht, having been knocked out for the second season at the semi-final stage by the eventual winners, Sale Sharks, will be seeded for the draw.

They have knocked Narbonne out in each of the last three seasons - the clubs also met in the pool stages a year earlier and in the 1998/99season.

Wales, for the second year running, will not have a team in the Challenge Cup after Cardiff beat Italian side Viadana in a play-off for a Heineken Cup place.

Included among the English sides in the draw will be Gloucester, Northampton Saints, Newcastle Falcons and London Irish, while former Heineken Cup winners Brive will lead the French sides.