Hi °C | Lo °C Ulster caretaker coach Steve Williams last night said he would be happy to work with Matt Williams if the Australian is appointed as the permanent successor to Mark McCall at Ravenhill.
The Ulster Branch hope to unveil Matt Williams as their new head coach on Christmas Eve having put an offer to the 46-year-old Australian last night.
The former Leinster and Scotland coach was in Belfast on Thursday for an interview with Branch officials, at which terms and conditions and the make-up of his backroom staff were understood to have been discussed.
Most newly-appointed coaches like to bring in their own assistants and Williams has twice brought in Ulsterman Willie Anderson during his time at Leinster and Scotland.
However Steve Williams, who was brought in by McCall as a forwards coach to replace Allen Clarke during the summer, still has a year-and-half to run on his contract and it is highly likely he will remain in position until the end of this season at least.
And the affable Welshman, who has done an admirable job in steadying Ulster's ship during their disastrous season which has seen nine defeats from 12 games in all competitions, said he hoped to stay on whoever gets the top job.
"I have never made any pretensions," said Williams. "I came over here for a couple of years and I hope that will continue.
"But on that front, I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen. I probably have less of an idea as some of you guys as to what is going to happen.
"I believe interviews were taking place yesterday and that is about as much as I know really. What will happen will happen and there is not really much you can do about that.
"It is business as usual. The game is going to happen on Boxing Day whether you are happy or not really and that is the situation we are in. You will just get on with it."
And that is exactly what the 36-year-old has been doing. He named a 30-man squad yesterday for Boxing Day clash against Leinster at the RDS, which significantly included David Humphreys, fit again after a long-term ankle problem, and new signing Grant Webb, the former Otago Highlander and Hawk's Bay No 8.
"As long as the weather stays nice there is a good chance Humph will be available!" joked Williams.
"Grant has had two sessions with us and is fitting in fine. He is a very solid character, quite powerful with the ball in his hands and is quite well put together.
"He is certainly going to come into the equation with all the injuries we have at No 8, that is going to accelerate that process and he is more that capable of stepping in for us.
"He has been doing his pre-season programme and he was hoping an opportunity like this might arise so he has kept himself in good condition."
Shane Horgan is ruled out of the Leinster side due to a rib injury. Otherwise, leaders Leinster line-up is along expected lines for the clash against bottom-placed Ulster.
LEINSTER SQUAD: J Gomez, C Healy, O le Roux, B Blaney, B Jackman, S Knoop, S Wright, L Cullen, C Jowitt, M O'Kelly, K Gleeson, S Jennings, S Keogh, J Heaslip, C Keane, C Willis, G Easterby, F Contepomi, J Sexton, C Warner, G D'Arcy, B O'Driscoll, G Brown, L Fitzgerald, R Kearney, G Dempsey.
ULSTER SQUAD: M Bartholomeusz, S Danielli, B Cunningham, M McCrea, T Bowe, A Trimble, R Dewey, P Steinmetz, N O'Connor, P Wallace, D Humphreys, P Marshall, I Boss, K Campbell, J Fitzpatrick, B Young, D Fitzpatrick, T Court, R Best, N Brady, S Philpott, J Harrison, R Caldwell, C Del Fava, M McCullough, N Best, K Dawson, D Pollock, C Henry, G Webb.
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (IRFU).
