Williams is offered Ulster post

Matt Williams met Ulster officials in Belfast on Thursday

Matt Williams is poised to be confirmed as the new Ulster Director of Rugby later this week.

The former Scotland and Leinster coach was offered the job at the weekend following his flying visit to Belfast for talks last week.

It is thought discussion centred around the Australian's personal terms, his backroom and family situation.

It is expected that current caretaker coach Steve Williams will continue as assistant as part of the deal.

The Welshman has 18 months remaining of a two-year contract after he came in following the moving on of Mark McCall's assistant Allen Clarke.

However, if Sydney-based Williams does accept the deal it could be the end of January before he arrives in the province.

With his three children preparing to return to school, and the need to oversee other business commitments, Williams may have to delay his return to Irish rugby.

Williams tavelled over to Belfast last Thursday with his agent John Baker and held discussions with Ulster Branch officials, CEO Michael Reid, Cecil Watson, along with IRFU Director of Rugby Eddie Wigglesworth and committee member Neil Jackson.

Branch officials discussed the finer details of the meeting with the IRFU before a contract was cut and delivered to Williams in Sydney.

Williams' impending appointment comes after a leisurely two-year stint back in Sydney where he was in charge of coaching duties at West Harbour RFC.

The Australian has had a chequered career in coaching. He had some success with NSW Waratahs before moving north of the equator to Dublin.

With former Ireland international Willie Anderson as his deputy, Williams had quite a successful stint with Leinster.

Ulster's current caretaker coach Steve Williams

His at times uncompromising approach helped to shock an under-achieving team into becoming genuine Heineken Cup candidates.

During his time in Dublin he guided Leinster to Celtic League honours and was assigned Ireland A coach in 2002.

But after Leinster fluffed their lines in the 2004 semi-final against Perpignan, Williams' tenure came under threat.

However, his success at Leinster led him, and a short time later Anderson, to be head-hunted and leapfrogged into the international sphere when Scotland's big hitters Ian McGeechan and Jim Telfer were impressed with his forthright ideas.

As the first foreign coach at Murrayfield, Williams was at times controversial in his approach, and ditching well-established coaches and players in the SRU system did not go down too well in some quarters.

In the end, following a two-year stint in which Scotland only won three out of 17 games, Williams was sacked along with his backroom staff in April 2005.

A gifted raconteur Williams is an articulate speaker and on his return to Australia has been involved in more motivational lectures than coaching drills.

Obviously Ulster Rugby and the IRFU believe that he is the man to motivate a squad of players who looked to be mentally unable to get out of their present dip in form.