Ospreys name Allen Clarke as interim coach

Allen Clarke (right) joined Steve Tandy's backroom ahead of the 2017/18 season

Ospreys have named forwards coach Allen Clarke as interim boss for the rest of the season.

Clarke will take charge while the search continues for a long-term successor to Steve Tandy, who departed earlier this week.

Clarke joined the region for the start of the 2017/18 season from Ulster.

"He is vastly experienced, at both club/regional level and the international game," said Ospreys managing director Andrew Millward.

Clarke is the second Irish coach of one of the four Welsh regions with Bernard Jackman in charge of Dragons.

Capped eight times by Ireland, Clarke was a part of the Ulster team which won the 1999 Heineken Cup.

As a coach, the 50-year-old helped the province win the 2006 Celtic League title before joining the Irish Rugby Union as high performance manager.

He returned to Ulster in 2012 and became forwards coach two years later.

Clarke also has international coaching experience with Ireland A and Emerging Ireland, with whom he won the 2015 Tbilisi Cup ahead of Georgia, Italy A and Uruguay.

"Allen has agreed to take up the reins as interim head coach, while the search for a permanent replacement is ongoing," said Millward.

"He will provide leadership as the team pursues its goals for the remainder of the season.

"I have no doubt he will have the full support of everybody at the Ospreys."

Ospreys are second from bottom in Conference A, with four wins from 13 games, and were knocked out of the European Champions Cup last weekend after a 24-7 defeat at Clermont Auvergne.