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The Ospreys have appointed former Ireland hooker Allen Clarke as forwards coach in succession to Chris Gibbes.

Gibbes will head home to New Zealand in the summer, where he will take up a head-coach role with Mitre 10 Cup side Wellington Lions.

Replacing him in Swansea will be Clarke, the Ospreys having recruited him from Guinness Pro12 rivals Ulster, where he has enjoyed success as both a player and coach over 20 years, either side of a five-year spell as Irish rugby’s high-performance manager, with a spell at Northampton as a player on his CV as well.

Clarke, who has been Ulster’s forwards coach for the past three years, said: “I’m delighted to have this opportunity and really excited about the next challenge in my career.

“Why the Ospreys? What’s impressed me are the people. Many organisations will have values and I get the sense that the people at the Ospreys really do believe and live their values. That creates a good environment to work in, a culture that I’m looking forward to being part of.

“It’s an ambitious organisation, with a great mix of experience and some real talent coming through, and I hope that I can add value, for the players, the coaches and the management. Chris Gibbes has done a great job in building a pack that has the potential to go toe-to-toe with anyone and I’m grateful to have that platform to work from when I arrive in the summer. I’m looking forward to the challenge.

“Ulster, and Irish rugby, has been my life for such a long time, but I’m excited and highly motivated about joining the Ospreys and making the move to the region with my wife, Kerry, it’s a great new adventure for us.

“However, all parties, myself, Ulster and the Ospreys, have a lot of work to do and goals to achieve before the end of the season, when I’ll be able to focus on the future.”

Clarke may not be a big name but he has a solid track record in rugby.

Capped eight times by Ireland, he was a key player in Ulster’s 1999 Heineken Cup run, including the 21-6 win over Colomiers at Lansdowne Road in the final, the province’s only European title.

Off the field, he helped set up the Ulster academy and as Mark McCall’s assistant in 2006 he helped the province to a first ever Celtic League title, secured at the Liberty Stadium on the final day of the season.

Ospreys managing director Andrew Millward said: “After Chris Gibbes advised us of his intentions to move on at the end of the season we made it a priority to identify and recruit a highly respected coach of the calibre needed to continue, and build on, Gibbo’s excellent work.

“We’ve definitely achieved that with the appointment of Allen Clarke.

“He’s renowned for his energy, his meticulous preparation and his knowledge of the set-piece area.

“Combine that with a proven track record in, and passion for, player development, and you’ve got someone whose own approach sits comfortably within our values as an organisation. He will be a valuable addition to the coaching team when Gibbo heads home at the end of the season.”