Meehan puts Calleja in control of Bath deals

Steve Meehan has handed Bath's transfer dealings over to Bob Calleja while he is in Australia – and is confident the club will have made significant progress by the time he returns.

Head coach Meehan is in Queensland on holiday, so chief executive Calleja has the job of dealing with potential signings' agents.

Meehan has already spoken with two key targets – and plans to be in touch via email and telephone while he is Down Under.

Bath are understood to be keen to recruit in the back row, with Wasps' James Haskell and Bristol's Dan Ward-Smith at the top of their shopping list.

And Meehan said: "There are all sorts of bits and pieces happening – and there are more players available than I first thought.

"But if we introduce players to the squad, there won't be that many of them coming in.

"I have spoken with two of the leading candidates so far and I am handing it over to Bob while I am away. But I will be part of the emails and phone calls, while he will be the one at the coalface dealing with the agents.

"He has done it plenty of times before, and hopefully before I get back one or two of those will be wrapped up. But if we have to wait until I am back in Bath, then we will do that."

Meehan has, however, stressed he will not be talking to any potential signings while in his homeland. "I'm not looking at players in Australia for Bath," he said.

Heineken Cup quarter-finalists the Ospreys have confirmed Australian Scott Johnson's appointment as director of coaching.

Johnson, 46, will join the Welsh region at the end of the season after serving a three-month notice period with USA Rugby.

Johnson will head up a coaching team in Swansea that includes Sean Holley and Jonathan Humphreys.